Vampiric Sacrifice
by stefani teee
Summary: HY/RP. Things aren't as they once were. A match made in heaven was broken, a prince is in a coma, his wife is dead, and a princess is out for revenge. And a pair of vampiresses is the cause of it all.
1. The Beginning

Title: Vampiric Sacrifice

Author: stefani teee a.k.a. Koneko ^Å^

© Tales Spinners Inc.

Koneko-chan says!

Hello again from one of those fanfiction writers who get one idea in her head (one for this anime, one for that anime) and starts a new fic before her others are done. I got a sudden idea for guts and gore. Don't as me why as I personally can't stand most of those stupid horror movies. You know with the stupid blonde who walks into the evilly creepy mansion when you KNOW the entire audience is screaming "GET OUT OF THERE!" and still she goes in and gets murdered by a guy in a ski mask and a portable paper shredder. They're stupid, and I get scared of every little thing whether it's stupid or not. Other than that, this is a new fic o' mine for Gundam Wing and (which I swear is one of the best animes in the world {cute and very well drawn guys, what more could you want?!}) and it's a little AU. Yes, I am a fan of the straight coupling (I can handle the Trowa/Quatre thing 'cause it makes OK sense though, at least, not too much of it…) and this is one of those. I **might** do a Yaoi sometime, as I am quite open though I have preferences. And no, Relena is not a bitch no matter what some of you people say. (Some of you are **so MEAN**!) Anyway, review, email, the works.

Notes about this fic, it contains plenty of blood, guts and gore. Some subjects **might** be OOC for the GW gang, but if these circumstances ever came up in real life (I sure as hell hope not), I'm sure it would be something akin to human nature for them to act this way.

One more thing, I'm telling you in the beginning so don't come to the conclusion that the girls are flirting with every GW guy. The names they call them (i.e. honey) are there because they've known them all for so long, they're all comfortable with it. I repeat, DON'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS! Leave that to me.

~*~*~*~

****

Tap-tap.

The girl's eyes shot open. Her hand moved swiftly under her pillow, grabbing a gun that lay beneath it. It would have been useless against these creatures under normal circumstances, but she knew what they were. And so, the bullets were made of pure silver. She tensed… she hated the nights now. A while ago, even several months ago, she had loved the night, loved walking out on her balcony to look at the moon and the stars and think. Now, she hated it, hated how, some nights, they would come back, trying to finish the horror they had already done to the place. The Peacecraft manor was a place full of fear, the few servants that stayed were always suspicious of anyone that rang the doorbell at night, and they never left the building out into the open air.

"Come out you cowards—now." The moment those words came out of her mouth, she caught sight of about two to three of the creatures crawling outside her bedroom window, eager to be invited in. "Get away from here." She hissed, knowing they could hear her, even through the glass. She sat up in bed, glaring at one of them that she could see through her window. "Invite us in, little one." They taunted her. They looked almost human, but the cold moonlight that washed over their already pale faces was deathly. They all stood finally on her balcony, staring at her through the sliding glass doors. Two males, and one female. All three were exquisitely beautiful and perfectly chiseled. But they were monsters. "I'll never let you in here… not for any reason. Not again."

Last time, one of the staff had unknowingly invited them in… sad to say, Marie was laid her grave the very next day. And they'd wreaked havoc in her house that night, the one night she had been away. She reached into a drawer beside her bed, and pulled out several of the blessed wooden stakes, given to her by a priest that had known very well what she was meaning to do… to protect the people she had left. It had been quite unknown to anyone that those blood-sucking vermin had killed her parents. She opened the door to her balcony, slamming it behind her as she went. "You're not getting an invitation, you scum, so screw off."

One of them laughed strangely, tapping on the glass. "Come out and play little birdie, the moon's crying blood for you already." The girl frowned in disgust, as she saw dark red blood drip from their fangs… they'd already fed tonight. . _And someone's mother is going to be crying at their funeral tomorrow…_ she thought feeling a vague sense of pity before she pushed it out of her mind. She needed to concentrate, wait for the perfect time. They hissed, crawling towards her on the walls of the apartment building. A male one whispered lowly, "Let us in little Peacecraft bitch, and let us drink of you like we drank of your family before." She clenched her teeth in anger. 

"No… but I will come out." She told them, glaring. "Move away from the balcony first." They obeyed her, still smirking as she stood up, drawing her sheer robe around her otherwise naked body. She tied it tightly, not wanting it to get in her way when around these monsters. She grabbed two of her stakes that had been made especially for killing these monsters, and had been exquisitely carved. She walked out onto the empty balcony. All was silent, as the vampires clung to the walls, all around her. "Get away from here or I swear you're all going back to Hell." She warned them all, and brandished her gun, just as one of them jumped her, smashing the thing out of her grip and she watched it as it fell through the spaces in the balcony. "Shit." She muttered as she shoved the vampire off her and kicked him hard enough to smack back onto the wall he'd jumped from. Whipping the other stake from the pocket in the sleeve, which she'd slipped in, she faced them all still holding their vertical position on the wall by their clawed hands. The same one jumped down to the ground to face her. 

She turned quickly and grabbed her army knife, a silver one that had been strapped to her leg, and thrust it into the vampire's throat, having no time to aim anywhere else, and needing to keep an eye on the others. She could tell it was hard enough to have gone through. The vampire screamed in agony, clutching its throat as the blood from its previous victim poured out… a lot of blood. 

From where she was outside, Relena Peacecraft Dorlian which was who she was, heard Gabriel wake, inside. He was still in his bed where he'd been sleeping in his bed which they'd brought in, hiding from his own room since the vampire attacks had started, and watched in fascinated horror as the vampires turned to look at him through the window with their ferociously disgusting grins. His eyes widened, more in fear than fascination now and the little boy looked ready to cry as a female walked over to the glass and began to coo. "Come out little boy, come out and play." Her voice was soft and persuasive but the little boy was terrified, and he could see the insane gleam in her eyes. "LENA!" he cried as he saw the blonde outside, fighting those monsters. "STAY INSIDE!" she yelled back, "THEY CAN'T TOUCH YOU IF YOU'RE INSIDE!" Gabriel grabbed at the blankets, clutching them hard and stared with horror as the female vampire didn't seem to want to leave the glass. The other female laid a hand on her, as the three males were busy fighting Relena. "Don't play with the child, Rosalyn, all he's good for is food…" Rosalyn pouted like a little girl denied of her doll, before looking back towards Relena who was currently fighting all three of the males. "Then we can just kill the little birdie." She said happily as she watched the fight. Gabriel shuddered uncontrollably and he watched Auntie Lena fighting those things.

"AHHHHH! FUCK **OFF**!" growled Usagi, as a vampire leapt from behind and clung onto her by her long hair, snapping at her neck, "Get off me you damned vampire!" She yelled, grabbing the long knife from the other vampire's throat (it was wounded but not dead) and shoved it behind her, into another vampire's gut. 

It let go with a wounded scream and she had enough time to wrench it out and shove it into the more fatal place… its heart. It exploded into dust and the flying ashes momentarily blinded Usagi… but the others weren't. With blood trailing down the front of its chest, the vampire she'd stabbed attacked her, taking advantage of her momentary blindness. He grinned as she screamed quite nicely when his claws raked against her abdomen, so that the wounds gushed with blood. Not enough to kill her just yet, but enough to slow her down… a lot.

As soon as Gabriel saw his favorite aunt get hurt and the blood already seeping through the tears in her robe, "LENA!" he screamed, scared that she would die too… just like his mother.

Relena got up, one hand holding her stomach protectively as she swore under her breath for being so careless. There was no time to bind it just yet, but she put enough pressure on it to staunch the blood flow a little. With her other hand, the blood that had stained her hand, now ran down the wooden stake that she'd held. A priest had blessed it, giving it the duty to slay evil beings. She did not like her chances at all, but these males weren't especially evil, they were just hungry. Eternally hungry. She attacked the one on her left first, kicking it off the balcony so that it fell; several stories down, giving her enough time attack the other. "You are bleeding…" it murmured, staring at the blood that had stained her robe a dark red hungrily. "Yeah. And you're gone, Dead Boy." She snapped testing her stake of its sharpness. "Come and get me."

It attacked. It might not have been a particularly powerful one, but its training was better than most and it most definitely wasn't careless of its moves. She didn't like it at all that her vision was beginning to go fuzzy around the edges. She shook the dizziness away, now was no time to drop into a faint. Jumping up to avoid another slash from its talons, she landed behind it, shoving the stake into its chest. It looked down to see the tip of it protruding from the front of its dirtied shirt and exploded into ashes. Wiping the stuff off her clothing surreptitiously, she turned her attention back to the one that was climbing up the walls to fight her. The things just didn't know when to quit.

"Your friends just left on a jet plane to Hell. Aren't you going to join them?" she asked in a sarcastically sweet voice. "You're going to die, woman." It snarled as it bared its fangs, trying to intimidate her. "That's not going to happen tonight, vermin." She snapped back, holding up the stake in her hand in a threatening manner.

It was an easy dusting. Apparently, he was all talk and she quickly silenced him by decapitating his smirking head. It rolled only once before it and the body which had been previously gushing blood from its neck, exploded into dust. The balcony floor was dripping with blood and it was already dripping off the edges down into the darkened field beneath. 

The two women were watching her apprehensively now that their henchmen (which she suspected the men were) had been dusted, and one of them stood in front of the other, baring her fangs. "You're going to die, Miss Fighter for Peace." She said glaring.

"Ooh, fighting for peace… the little birdie's has a special mission in life!" squealed Rosalyn like a little girl. "Yeah… and soon enough, those she was going to help are going to be crying… before we slit their throats." In an instant, both of them had leaped off the balcony, landing on the street several stories below and continued running.

Relena grimaced despite her wound at the blood draining off her balcony floor… it **was** quite disgusting. But apparently Gabriel was more worried about his aunt than disgusted because he opened the door and Relena stumbled in, falling to the carpeted floor as soon as the door was closed. The kid was a smart one and she willingly gave the credit as soon as she saw the first-aid kit that had been brought from under the bed as soon as he'd seen her get swiped. Dammit, the wound **stung**. She bandaged the thing quickly, but rather awkwardly and wrapped the gauze around her stomach so it rather resembled a mummy's wrappings. She shuddered to think of meeting one that night. They weren't as clumsy as they looked… she should know, she'd fought one just the other night.

"Gabe," she gasped, "call Preventers HQ—say, say Air finished the vermin off, but got an injury, inspection of viral encoding needed." She didn't think that they had poisoned her, but she was not going to take any chances.

Gabriel nodded, and, still trembling, picked up the phone, dialing the numbers slowly. A hassle with the medics when they'd driven there in Relena's car (with great caution of course) and she was proclaimed perfectly fine, with a more well bandaged stomach. They drove home silently, as Relena looked silently for anything that might be hiding around. Only when they reached home was she able to give a sigh of relief and flop down onto her bed. A sigh of relief, but not of complete relief.

Noin was dead. She had been killed by the vampires that night when Relena had been out, and Milliardo was still in a coma from loss of blood. Every single day that was what she woke up to. And that was why Gabriel was under her charge now, now that both his parents weren't around to take care of him. She smiled grimly as she wiped the grass stains off the gun she'd found in the grass when they'd walked back in, and checked the bullets. They were all in. Closing it and slipping into a simple pair black jeans and a black tank top so that she could hope to blend in with the night a little, she placed on the belt she'd had specially made to fit her stakes, gun, and various other items that she needed. She touched the silver cross hanging from a chain on her neck before tucking it in underneath her shirt.

"Aunt Lena…?" asked Gabriel fearfully, "Where are you going?"

"Hunting." She replied bluntly knowing he would know exactly what she was talking about. "But—b-be careful." He ended, knowing not to stop her. He was a good kid, and if he were a little—a lot older, he would probably have wanted to go out and help her instead of staying back and being scared. He was, after all, her brother's son. "Keep safe, dear one." She whispered to him before closing the door behind her.

*~*~*~*~*

Duo hid behind of the huge gnarled trunks of the trees that grew around the darkened place. He didn't like this place… there was evil in the air. Not that he was one of those Seers who knew for certain, but working for his organization had given him almost a sixth sense for stuff like this. Other people might call it just a gut feeling. He thought of it as something more than that, he seemed to know with a certainty of what they were… and what they were going to do. Why wouldn't he? After all, he'd been at this kind of thing since he was fifteen. 

He checked his watch furtively. It was time to move in for the kill. He moved silently to the ancient iron-shod gate. He looked at the lock, it was so old it had rusted through so there would be no point in picking it, one yank and it'd probably disintegrate. But the thing was that he couldn't move the gate without making a noise as obvious as clanging a gong and screaming "I'm here you bloody bastards, come and get me!" He looked around for any other way to get in. _The fence then…_ he thought grimly, getting a running start before leaping up and vaulting over it. "Damn." He swore under his breath wiping his hands surreptitiously on his black jeans. The fence was slick with wet blood, how it had got there he didn't want to know.

Crouching, as to remain relatively unseen, he moved closer to the gigantic door, dampened by bloody handprints all over the wooden splinters that stuck out of the wooden boards nailed together, and peered through a particularly large crack. Nothing in sight. He entered the place cautiously, and as quietly as he could. He began to examine the lower level rooms for any sign of life… or the undead. Perhaps even coffins. He knew some vampires had adapted to sleeping on beds like humans, but most preferred their coffins, which were made quite grandly, no matter what the outer room might look.

His head jerked suddenly at a sudden creak in the hall behind him and a muffled curse as whoever it was stiffened. He quickly exited the room, his gun out in case it was what he expected it to be. Well there certainly was someone and he suspected her instantly. "I finally found one of you, vampire." He growled lowering it to her chest where her heart would be. To his surprise, she glared, "I? I am no demon… but I **do** suspect **you**." 

By god he recognized **that** voice! "RELENA?!" he hissed in amazement. "Duo?!" she hissed back, staring at him in blunt amazement. "What are you doing here?!"

"A question I want to ask you!" he hissed back, as both of them were careful enough not to catch the attention of the owners of the house. "You're a Vampire Hunter?" he asked gesturing to it. "That's totally impossible!"

Bit rich, coming from you." 

"I have no time for this. I came to hunt a vampire. And since you are holding a stake that has been sprinkled with holy water and blessed as well without burning, I assume you aren't who I'm looking for." He told her shoving his gun back into his belt. He looked at her still holding her stake with a wry look, "Listen little girl, this is no place for a babe like you. You could get killed."

Relena bristled, "Not like you will **little boy**." She shot back continuing past him but keeping her footsteps light. He came back beside her, "Hey, sorry Lena… but this is just… unbelievable." She laughed harshly and holding the stake in a tight grasp. "Unbelievable? You want to know unbelievable? That the press and the public believed that Noin died of a wild animal attack in the **Sanq Kingdom** and my brother is in a coma because he was in that same attack!"

"Hey, slow down… I knew your brother was in a coma and Noin is dead but I never figured…"

"Then Commander Une's job was done quite well." She snapped before looking remorseful, knowing that she couldn't take out her feelings on **him**. He was, more or less, a great friend. "Sorry… but, after everything's that happened to me…" Duo smiled jerkily, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "Hey, no problem. Now that we know for sure, we're on the same side, and I'm pretty sure you're not going to stand for me telling you that I can 'handle this on my own', let's get moving or else Wufei's going to kick my ass."

"Wufei? He's here?"

"Sure is. He's outside covering for me in case I die. Or at the most, if he hears any blood-curdling screams coming from my vocal chords he'll come running. Trowa's out there too." Relena shook her head sighing, "I see you haven't changed."

"But you certainly have Lena. You gave up the politician life for this?"

"You have a problem with revenge?"

"Hey, I know Noin and Milliardo were family—"

"Too bad it wasn't just them. King and Queen Peacecraft were killed by them too, and the entire thing was glossed over as a terrorist assassination."

Duo winced, "Ow… that one must've been harsh to find out."

"That and the fact that they're going to be after Milliardo to finish the job, Gabe, and me."

"Gabe?"

"Come on, you remember him. My nephew? Gabriel?" Recognition dawned on Duo, "OH **that** kid! Yeah, I—**FUCK**!" he cursed loudly as he suddenly whirled to face a vampire sneering at him, seconds before he plunged a stake into its chest. It looked down in surprise as he yanked it out, before it disintegrated into ashes. "My, my, the little birdie's left her cage and come to play!" said a delighted voice in the shadows and Relena whirled to face Rosalyn. "So it's you." The words were quite calm but she wondered a lot about this woman, she was insane that could be seen, but she was certainly evil and it'd probably be difficult to kill her.

"Dear, it's not a good idea to talk to your food before eating… they're not quite as appetizing." Scolded a voice from behind the vampire, and Rosalyn had a delighted look on her face at the sound of the same woman Relena had seen on the balcony. "But Jacey…" she pouted childishly as the woman came up behind her, hugging her from behind. Rosalyn leaned against the woman's chest. "But I want to play…"

"Later darling."

Relena wrinkled her nose as the two vampiresses continued to hug, always knowing of her presence, but appearing not to pay her attention. "Oh!" cried Rosalyn clasping her hands suddenly as if she had been struck with a sudden idea. "We haven't introduced ourselves to our new friend… I am Rosalyn DeVere." She said smiling, her fangs flashing as she did so.

"Darling I don't see a reason…"

"But it's much nicer to be polite to the little birdie before it sings its last song."

"Fine then. I am Jacinta Sheldon." She frowned. "Don't you want to eat her now, darling?"

Relena had had enough. Duo was still busy fighting the lesser vampires that were swarming him like a bunch of bees and she was staring down these two lesbian vampiresses with a look of disbelief when this Jacey woman asked so nonchalantly. "You won't be eating anyone else tonight, Fang-face."

"Ooh, you go and rip her throat out for calling us names. Bad, bad birdie." Rosalyn shook her finger at Relena with a tsk, tsk sound.

"Anything to please, Rosalyn darling."

Then, Relena was swept into a whirlwind of combat skills with the older woman. She, a 21 year-old with limited abilities that she'd learned over the last few years (ever since she'd known about her parents' real killers) and a woman who'd probably lived centuries with a lot more vampiric strength on her side. It wasn't long for the vampiress to land a swift blow to her, slicing the skin on her upper arm deeply and before she could stop herself, she screamed, shrilly, before attacking back, kicking, clawing, and punching. The woman caught both her arms and she wrenched hard to release them. When that didn't do much else, she lunged at her, biting down hard on the woman's face. She didn't have fangs, but the ones she had worked for ripping the flesh on the woman's face and seeing the blood well up and spill over. The vampiress gave a scream of pain as they continued to attack each other ferociously while Rosalyn watched, knowing full well Jacey's abilities. "Rip her throat and let me drink of it," she crooned to her lover, "and then we can drink of a princess again."

Duo, done with the 'lesser vampires' advanced on them. "Shit, LENA!" he yelled horrified as he saw blood drip from both of them, smearing on the ground, on the walls they crashed into, their clothes. He would've joined the fight if a hand hadn't clamped onto his arm. "No, no little boy. Jacey is having a little dance with the birdie before it sings its last song and dies for us."

"Like hell she will!" he yelled, wrenching free of the clawed hand. "Bad, bad boy… you should listen to Rosalyn, you don't want to end up like my Mummy."

"And what happened to your Mummy?" he spat out at the dark-haired, dark-eyed vampiress. "I slit her throat and laid her beside my Daddy so he could give her a kiss before they went to Hell."

"You monster!" he growled, pulling out his gun, but she swiped at it, knocking it down the hall. "Bad little boys aren't allowed to play with toys."

"But bad little boys don't listen to what bad ladies tell them to." He snarled back, lunging at her, knocking her off her feet and onto her back as they wrestled in a deadly embrace, her fangs snapping for his throat, and his hand trying to find anything pointy and wooden. Silver would do just fine as well.

The sound of a "twang" suddenly could be heard among the two fights going on in the hall and thunked right above Rosalyn's left shoulder as she snapped at Duo's neck. "You get off him, and YOU," he said, directing his order to Jacey, "get off Relena."

Rosalyn scrambled off Duo quickly and stood, staring at Jacey who'd also let go of Relena, her cheek torn open, and blood trailing from multiple different cuts on her body as well from the fighting. Relena wasn't much better off. The wounds she'd gotten earlier had reopened and blood was seeping through the bandages and through her shirt. She also had several deep cuts from the other woman's long talons and there was a long, bloody gash across her temple.

"Yo Wufei, ol' pal, you certainly took your time."

"I came only when I heard someone scream."

"I'll have you know it wasn't me."

"Shut up Maxwell, we'll sort this out later." Duo fell silent as the two vampires eyed the three of them carefully. "Jacey? I don't like that toy he has in his hands." whimpered Rosalyn staring at Wufei. "Don't worry darling, nothing will happen." replied Jacey confidently. "How—?! " Just behind Wufei, a vampire suddenly dropped through the rotten ceiling and grabbed at the boy, causing quite a disturbance. The two females quickly made their exit as Relena dusted the vamp and leaving Wufei coughing with the choking dust. By the time they had tried to find the two vampiresses, they had disappeared. "Dammit, I lost them." cursed Relena as she wiped the blood angrily off her face where a cut on her temple was bleeding down her face.

"Now, would you care to inform us on why the hell you're here of all places tracking a pair of renegade vampiresses?!" asked Wufei, trying to keep calm. "I'm a vampire hunter, just like you, you idiot."

"Idiot?! I just saved your damned life!"

"And I'll thank you for it, but other than that, what I do is none of your business!" she snapped at him before sighing and taking a deep breath. "Look, I'm not a pampered and spoiled little child, and right now, if this proof shocks you, then you haven't looked much through the years." Wufei took a deep breath, trying his hardest to remain calm. "Fine. We're taking you to the medics over at Headquarters." Relena groaned, "They're going to be pissed at seeing me again… fine. Let's go, I'll take my car—"

"I'll take it. You can go with Duo and the rest of the guys."

"Everyone else is here too?"

"They're waiting at the car. Keys?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out the jangling ring. "You hurt my baby and you're dead, you hear?" she warned him before following Duo. "Women." Snorted Wufei as soon as they were out of hearing distance.

"MEN!" yelled back Relena, telling him that she had indeed heard him. "So Duo, how's Hilde?"

"Kinda pregnant."

"WHAT?!"

"Um…" Duo shrugged, "Hey, it just… happened!" he looked defensive. Relena sighed, shaking her head. "Duo, Duo, Duo… what am I going to do with you?"

"Give a guy some slack and **not** dissect his sex life maybe?"

"Perhaps." By this time, they'd exited the mansion, and kicked down the rusted gate that fell with a muted "ker-thunk" in the muddied earth. They made their way to the road, and the first persona Relena recognized was a tall young man with outrageously long bangs. "Trowa!" she called, waving forgetting about her injuries, and wincing as she did. The blood had already seeped into all her clothes and the fact that she'd been hurt earlier didn't help. Trowa was at her side in a matter of seconds, looking at her first in amazement for being in such a place, and then concern as he looked over her extensive repertoire of injuries. "Are you… are you okay?" he asked quietly, examining several of the deeper scratches. "Nothing a trip to the medics at Headquarters won't fix… don't worry, I'm just fine. How are you anyway? I haven't seen you for several years now."

"I've been around."

"Still at it with Dorothy aren't you?"

"No."

"WHAT?!"

"We broke up a while ago."

"And you didn't **tell** me?!" she was flabbergasted, and rather hurt. Why in the world hadn't her best friend told her something like this?! She humphed her displeasure before shrugging and saying, "I'm not going to have a long discussion with you until later. For now… good to see you again." She hugged him before grimacing at the pressure on her injuries. Trowa seemed to notice too because he gestured towards the car behind the grove of trees. "Let's get moving then." Duo, who'd been completely ignored for the last couple of minutes, was already way ahead of them.

"Quatre! How you doing?" asked Relena, opening the car door and sliding in with practiced ease, sliding on the leather interior beside Quatre. Now it was the Arabian's turn to be flabbergasted, "Re-Relena-sama?" he paused, "What are you doing here?!"

She sobered quickly. "I was here to hunt a couple of vamps. The real game got away, dammit." She swore under her breath before shrugging it off. "So how's it been since I last saw you last?" she asked absently as she began examining the blood draining from her abdomen with what looked like a bored expression on her face. "Relena-sama, are you all right?" he asked hesitantly. "Oh sure, just got scratched." she replied, as Trowa and Duo got into the two front seats, Trowa driving.

In the intense silence, Duo finally asked, "So how's everything going?"

"Gabriel's fine, Milliardo's the same, and the rest of Peacecraft manor is a wreck. Oh, and I'm still hunting down those two vampiress bitches back there." Quatre raised his eyebrow at the language. The Relena he knew didn't use such words at all. Relena was looking out the window, and Quatre blinked when he saw the heavy-duty pistol in her hand lying on her lap. Taking a closer look, she wasn't absently admiring the dark beauty of the starlit night, her eyes were roving around trying to see as far as they could through the darkness, looking for something. _Vampires_ Quatre realized, and the entire thing fell on him all of a sudden. "Relena-sama… why are you… why…?"

"Why am I doing this?" she finished his question for him. "Um, yes."

"Because it's a revenge thing. Getting information is a lot easier than previous years, I'll have to say." Satisfied that there were no undead following them, she relaxed, leaning back against the leather interior. She winced as the pain in her side reminded her suddenly of her wounds. "Dammit, how the hell am I supposed to go to the political meeting tomorrow, like this?!" she muttered to herself holding her side carefully and scolding herself mentally. "They can't see the Vice Foreign Minister looking like she'd just had a fight with a wildcat."

"I assure you, you would look much better off. Wildcats know when to retreat when a couple dozen of their kind die in front of them." Wufei commented from beside her. "And I'm sure you would know." She replied, not joking as she kept herself busy, to try and staunch the blood flowing from her wounds. "We're almost there." Wufei assured her as he and Quatre helped her, making makeshift bandages for the moment.

The car slid to a smooth stop in front of Preventers HQ and with hardly any help at all, Relena made it into the medical ward for an examination. For once, she wished Sally hadn't gone back to medical school to finish her education. She would've liked her friend close by especially with these poking and prying doctors tsk tsking her over ever wound.

"Relena?" asked someone behind her, and the girl turned to face the one guy she'd hadn't seen for over two years. "Heero?" she gaped, before she shut her mouth thinking how much like a fish out of water she must look like.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking down at the multiple bandages on her body, not to mention the bandages that wound around her head. "Maybe I bit off a little more than I can chew." she replied nonchalantly. She could admit mistakes, and she didn't have to hide all the mistakes that had happened that night. She looked down in disgust at what he was seeing right now. Dried blood was smeared all over her clothes, and her skin, and blood was still seeping through the bandages all over her. In other words, she was a mess and looked it. He raised an eyebrow, "A little, Relena?"

"Alright, a lot more than I can chew. And I definitely choked." She looked around for Wufei who still had her car keys. He was nowhere to be seen.

"How have you been?" he asked almost hesitantly, definitely not comfortable with her new line of 'work' as he could see. "What, you mean you didn't check up on me this time?" she asked bluntly, knowing full well what he always did. "Dare I lie to you?" he asked just as bluntly.

"Amuse me. Pretend you haven't and I'll invite you over and then if we don't get attacked, I can keep and eye on Gabe and we can continue talking if you want."

"I'm game."

"Good, then all we have to do is wait for Wufei and if he destroyed my car, he'll wish he never met me tonight."

"From the highly colorful description from Duo, I assume that you would both be dead if he hadn't shown up."

"All right then, then I'll make him wish that he never touched my car keys."

"…" That was normal, she was beginning to think he'd gone farther along in his 'throwing away the past' thing than she'd known. Finally, the Chinese guy appeared at the doors looking miffed. "Did you damage my car in any way?"

"Woman, why the **HELL** did you not tell me what car it was? I was looking around that damned place for a car and when I tried the keys, one old lady came at me with a handbag! And when I finally find it, which I assure you, is very hard when you have a black eye from a handbag, I see those… THINGS inside that car!"

Heero looked mildly interested. "Things?" Relena answered Wufei and explained to Heero at the same time. "Outfits. I was supposed to be bringing that stuff over to a friend's place tomorrow… we'll need for tomorrow night. Must've hurt your ego to be driving around with playboy bunnies stitched on the things, huh?" she teased Wufei.

Heero was looking dumbstruck. "You… playboy bunnies…" he repeated dumbly and Relena had to laugh, she'd never known this guy to be a blundering idiot. Okay… minus the idiot. Duo looked dumbstruck, and slightly interested. "Don't tell me you're a model for _Playboy_ magazine!"

"What, haven't seen me in the latest issue?" Duo turned red, but he persisted, "No, really Lena… Playboy?"

"Relax guys, I'm no slut, they're… props."

"Props?" Heero finally voiced still looking rather dumbstruck. "Yeah, props. I've got a scene to catch these two vamp guys that the disposal crew couldn't deal with, so they sent in the big guns… or at least the girls."

"The girls."

"Mmhmm, me and Dorothy." Trowa's head jerked up to look at her. "WHAT?!" he almost yelled, a strange thing when around the guy, as his friends noted. Perhaps he wasn't as over his ex-girlfriend as he'd insisted. Not that they really knew what had happened, it'd all seemed to go perfectly well until they'd suddenly announced they were officially over.

"Yeah, Shiebecker would've come along, but apparently she was a little… under the weather." She cast a quick glance at Duo and muttered under her breath, "And I finally find out why." While Duo was busy trying to look completely innocent and avoiding any glances thrown at him. "So Catalonia and I were chosen to take on the job."

"But you don't know anything about… about… you know." Relena snorted, "Oh believe me, I definitely know a lot about 'you know', Quatre. Where is a little too private for me to discuss with you guys, but I assure you, Dorothy and I've got the moves down pat."

"I won't even ask." muttered Duo under his breath.

"She **can't**!" burst out Trowa suddenly before turning quite red when all eyes turned to him. "I mean… um…" not for the first time, he was at a loss for words, but it was not his normal silence. It was his embarrassed-as-hell silence.

"Who can't? Me or Dorothy?"

"Both of you…" he said slowly brushing his hair out of his big green eyes almost nervously. "What are you planning to do?"

"We're going to play dress-up, go to the club, find those guys, and dispose of them. Of course, there'll be plenty of other sex-crazed idiots over there, but we can handle 'em." she told them all matter-of-factly.

"You're Vice Foreign Minister, you can't go… someone would recognize you." stated Heero suddenly, back into Perfect Soldier mode after his shock. "I took that point into thought, but with a lot more dress-up on my part, we'll pull it off. Can you imagine me as a Japanese geisha?"

"A WHAT?!" he yelled, before lowering his voice when several of the medics shushed him as they passed by. "A geisha. As I recall, Dorothy's going as a…" she paused, trying to remember, "oh yes, she's going as a dancer."

"Dancer…?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, that can't be too bad…" muttered Trowa already conscious of the knowing gazes of his friends. "Did I not mention pole-dancer?"

"A WHAT?!"

"She's going as a general. I'm going as a particular… one of them has got to be in those vamp boys' tastes."

Heero was getting that, You'll-do-it-over-my-dead-body look and he looked ready to stock up on silver bullets and go after the two vamps himself without resorting to the "big guns". Relena smiled rather sardonically… she knew that look quite well. "Screw that idea that's blooming in your mind like a bitch in a bar Heero, you're not taking over this assignment." Heero blinked at her choice of wording before striving for a semi-innocent look, "I had nothing of the sort in mind."

Relena rolled her eyes, "Yeah, and I just resigned from being Vice Foreign Minister and have made up my mind to be a striptease artist. Come on Yuy, I know you too well to fall for that."

"Apparently we don't know **you** just as well, Lena." Quatre said quietly from the sidelines sipping from a Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate. Relena gave him a rather sarcastic grin. "I'm not surprised Quatre honey, you haven't seen what happened after the funeral."

The boy blushed red (he was prone to do that no matter what) but he managed to stutter, "We all send our deepest sympathies for Miss Noin—" while Heero didn't look happy with the implied intimacy.

"I know you all do, I already knew it even though only **you** came to the funeral," she glanced at all the other faces who uncomfortably looked away, "and it must take a lot of work to go on with your lives after all that's happened."

"But we're not as different as you are, Lena."

"I got a new line of work, I'm advertising to the world as a slut tomorrow night, and I'm a vampire hunter. Oh yes and a girl out for revenge. That's all." She stood up from the hard plastic seats that all their talking had gravitated them towards. "I've got to get going… Gabe's probably missing me."

"Gabe?" asked Duo looking up, "He your new lover?"

"Obviously not Maxwell, you know very well he's my nephew." She shuddered, "Ew, I do not want to even think how gross that would be." Duo grinned unrepentantly. Relena sighed shaking your head. "Any of you busy tonight? You mind crashing at my place? The entire household is freaked and Gabe's gonna be frantic when I get home… and with Brother in a coma, and Pagan off to England for help…" she looked at each of them in turn, with a pleading look on her face that they knew all too well. Some things never change. It was the look with those big blue eyes with the long batting eyelashes in the innocent-looking face. A complete Relena trademark look.

Five minutes later, they found themselves squashing in amongst themselves in Relena's car wondering what they were doing there as they all tried to ignore the multicolored fabrics of Relena's "props". And also her driving, she might be a promoter of peace, but hell she was worse than a speed demon. Finally, the neared the Peacecraft mansion, a looming building with only a few lights lit inside, and all in all, looking like a place gloomy and frightened. "Man, what happened to this place? It's like… I don't know, some scene from a horror movie."

"You could say so… be on your guard when we go up the path, there might still be some bloodsuckers lurking around here. I doubt it, but the smell of blood definitely draws things that I don't like closer."

"Blood?"

"I decapitated one of the vampires that I was fighting on the balcony… it had just fed." Duo had a sick expression on his face. "God I don't even want to think about that."

"So that's why I'm telling you all to be careful." She smiled rather solemnly as she parallel-parked the car (not daring to drive through to the driveway) on the street outside and swept to the keypad on the gates. They swung open silently and she slipped in, the others following her, mimicking her silent footsteps as she hurried towards the house, heading for the servants' entry. It was an old enough house to still have one, but all who wanted to, went through whatever door they liked. As soon as her hand touched the doorknob, a growl emitted from her side and, from the light shining from inside, she could see a figure standing there, rather hunched, and chewing something in its mouth, blood spurting out in rivulets down its chin. She shuddered as she recognized the mangled body of a rabbit. "Oh Allah, what is it?" asked Quatre in alarm.

"Quatre, all of you, get in NOW. I'll deal with this…" she said, already beginning to reach for her belt. But they, being who they were would not leave that girl to fend for herself against that… thing. It was not a vampire, they could see that much. "What are you?" muttered Relena, trying to figure it out, "What animal could you be?" the thing growled, and ripping the rabbit out of its huge jaws with a clawed hand, and spat blood at the ground, several inches away from her feet. She had steel herself not to recoil in disgust. "Pece… craft." it hissed, sounding amazingly human for the thing, with the long ragged fur, claws, and drooling jaws. "Yeah, that'd be me. What do you want?"

"Roz…lin. Ja… see… you, care—ful." It managed in between growls… its vocal chords apparently weren't designed for human speech, but it was doing its damndest to try. "About them? I'm more worried about myself in a current situation with a… with a… what are you?" It sniffed at her with its nostrils before answering slowly, "Frend." The ex-gundam boys were beginning to grow restless at this point. She didn't trust this thing as far as she could throw a knife. "A friend huh? And why would you want to be my friend?"

"Roz…lin. Bad. Trust you. You care—ful. Roz—lin danger—ous."

"She's an insane bitch of a vampiress and she's got a girlfriend with a long set of talons. I know she's dangerous."

The creature stumbled forward, but stopped when all five guys present cocked their pistols. "You… under—stand. Roz—lin. Power. Evil."

"What power?"

"Don't know… will find out." It promised looking at her through soulful brown eyes. They seemed so sad, even though the rest of it was so horrendous. "Fine. You wanted to call me a friend. Well friends have to trust each other. Do you trust me? And can I trust you?"

"Trust you." It agreed, "You… trust."

Duo looked like he was about to protest but a quick look from Relena quelled that idea. She was still the same person, willing to give that thing a chance. "Good."

"Come back… find you… you care—ful." It growled before shambling back into the underbrush of the hedge, and thoughtfully taking the rabbit with it. Relena looked mildly thoughtful as she finally entered her house and let the guys in. "Relena… do you think you should've done that?"

"No, I don't think I should've done that, but I've done it already. And I'm interested to see what information he might bring."

Heero had been silent for a long while now, and he finally spoke. "You feel sorry for him." he stated, knowing her too well, and knowing to fire point-blank. Relena shrugged, "Yes Heero, I do."

"Who's there?! Come on out, I know you're here!" a voice quavered as a shadow fell on the floor. "Who's there?!"

"Mrs. Petri! It's me!" called Relena and the old lady seemed relieved until she found her and the guys armed, and Relena's clothes spattered with blood along with the multiple bandages. "Miss Relena!" she cried running to the girl, dropping the silver knife on the countertop as she began to fuss over the girl. "Oh you shouldn't have gotten into such scrapes, Miss Relena!" the distressed woman cried.

"I'm fine… and you were afraid of more vamps weren't you?" The woman looked downcast, "Marie's dead… I don't want anyone else, especially that wonderful little boy to be killed too…" she looked more old and shaken than she actually was. "Mrs. Petri, you should have more faith in me!" she chided gently as she helped the old lady down the hall and the guys followed silently, Heero, last of all picked up the knife from the countertop. He looked it over carefully, just in case that woman had more on her mind than—

"Yo Heero, you don't trust anyone, do you?" asked Duo from his spot leaning on the doorjamb. Heero dropped the knife back on the countertop. "I do trust people. But I'm always careful." Duo shrugged, "Damn, sometimes I wonder what the kids'll be like." Heero raised his eyebrow warningly and Duo quickly followed the rest of the gang down the hall. The last thing he needed was to be knocked out by Heero (who could definitely pack a punch). Heero followed a little while after and found them all in the sitting room, sipping cups of tea (Quatre looked perfectly at home) and a little boy with platinum-gold hair tied into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck was cuddling against Relena. She had just come back from changing, and wearing baby-pink sweatpants and a white baby tee. The picture of innocence had the bruises not already begun to blacken her skin, and the bandages not showing everywhere. Heero studied the little boy, he had his father's hair, but the eyes were definitely his mother's. He was Gabriel Marquise, Zechs and Noin's only son.

The little boy was hugging his aunt with a death grip that could've rivaled a gorilla's. He was scared and she knew it, trying to comfort him as he quietly bit back the sobs that were already starting to threaten to spill and which he did not want when around these people. He looked around at them with round eyes. "Aunt Lena… who are these people?" he whispered in her ear. "They're my friends, Gabe."

"Oh." He smiled sweetly, looking so adorably cute that they had to wonder if this really was Zechs Marquise's son and not say Quatre's (who could pull up the same adorable expression when brought to the extreme). Relena grinned, her arm around the little kid. "You tired still, kid? Wanna go to bed?" he suddenly sat ramrod straight and he shook his head violently, "No… I'm… I'm scared. They might come back." Relena bit her lip. She definitely did not want her nephew to be scared stiff of those vermin (which as he said, might come back), and she didn't want him listening in on what she wanted to discuss with the guys.

Mrs. Petri saved the day when she stood up, "Well then, little master, you can come and play with Shelley… she's still awake. All those things coming here have scared her enough that she had can hardly ever sleep… do you want to?" Gabriel blushed red for a moment before nodding. "Okay." he got down from the seat and took the old lady's hand. "Bye bye." He said, waving to the rest of them in the room and both of them walked out the door.

Relena then proceeded to sprawl across the entire length of the wine-colored sofa and stretching. "Mmm…" she moaned as she sat back up to see all of them staring at her. "What?!" she asked defensively, "You have **not** had that kid hang on your ribs yet and learned how much oxygen that death grip can make you go without."

"What's happening tomorrow?" asked Trowa seriously, coming back to the topic still on all their minds.

"Well, I'm having a meeting with the ESUN, going out for another conference after that—"

"We were talking about your after-dark activities."

"Oh." She looked rather grim, "Honestly, I think this is one of the trickiest gigs me and Dor are have had to do for a while. It's a total guessing game and I don't have the time to go through that entire bar. Then there's the fact that there are some **major** slimeballs down in that joint." She was twisting a lock of hair while she talked, an indication that she was thinking hard about something.

"Then we'll go with you, and you can find out those guys, then we deck them and you shoot them." Duo suddenly came up with an idea. Relena blinked, "You coming along? Umm… maybe. I'll have to ask Dorothy. Hold on." She walked over to the vid-phone and immediately, with flying fingers, input the numbers for Dorothy's. The huge screen went wild with static for about a second before Dorothy appeared on the screen. She was dressed for bed, apparently and lounging on her bed wearing a tank top and silk pajama shorts. "Hey Lena." She greeted her friend, before she checked the clock and frowned, "Maybe you don't realize, but it's way past midnight."

"Yeah, I figured a watch could tell time too," responded Relena wryly as she gestured to the guys behind her, Trowa had turned his back and was apparently talking with Quatre, probably hoping Dorothy wouldn't recognize him. But sorry to say, the back of his head was quite distinctive along with the other guys' and Dorothy recognized him and looked rather upset before focusing back on Relena. "I see. So… what's the problem?"

"You wanna a coupla dates for tomorrow night?" asked Relena bluntly, making Dorothy raise an eyebrow. "Depends on who the cuties are… oh no, you don't mean them…"

"Well, actually I was…"

"Lena…"

"Dorothy, it'd be safer." Dorothy groaned, "Rel, maybe we're going to talk a little more **privately**." She said hinting hugely and of course, all got the message. Relena shrugged apologetically and said, "Be right back." before walking out the room and into the hall.

"Lena, you know they can't come!"

"Because you broke up with Trowa right?" Dorothy winced, "Oh, he told you."

"Yep. And I wondered why a certain best friend wouldn't, but that's okay, I still learned about it."

"Well, it's a long story."

"Good, you can tell me tomorrow, now just tell me why they can't come."

"Relena, you're cornering me."

"I'm giving you a chance to get out of it. Give me a reason." countered Relena-the-politician. Dorothy-the-Ice-Queen gave her one of her frosty glares before saying, "I don't need to have Trowa laughing at me behind my back because I have to be a pole-dancer tomorrow and calling me a skank just because I know all the moves to make the guys drool."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" asked Relena wryly.

"Rel, be serious! I can't do that!" Relena sighed, "Dor, since **when** have you ever cared what any guy ever thought of you? I mean, you've slept with… **how** many guys?"

"Please do not dissect my sex life, please."

"No really, when have you ever cared what any guy thought of you?"

"Since I met Trowa." The blonde replied quietly, sitting up from her bed and coming closer to the vid-phone in her room. "Since I learned that not all guys care only about what my body has to offer."

Relena winced, she'd known Dorothy had had quite a reputation back in high school, but being Relena's best friend had shielded her quite a lot. "Dor, just let them come. Come on, I don't know what happened between you two (though I assure I will find out) but think on my side, I've get five guys (extremely protective guys of anyone they've ever met and consider a friend) and you're expecting me to walk back in there. I don't want to start by saying, 'Oh, we decided we're just going to go ahead with the masquerade as a pair of whores and take the risk of getting raped out in the street.'"

Dorothy shook her head, "Fine, fine, Lena. I can't argue with you. But if that guy makes one wrong move…"

"Trust me, I'll keep them in line…" _I hope… I'm not the best to handle these guys…_ "Well, then, see you tomorrow." muttered Dorothy resignedly before signing off. "Bye." Relena replied to the blank screen before walking back into the room. "It's a go." She announced, "Thanks for wanting to come," she added, "we could use the help."

Quatre smiled at the blonde, "We're your friends Relena… of course we'd do all we could to keep you safe." Relena hugged the considerate boy hard. Heero frowned, but before he could do more, she stood up and grabbed the other four (who were sitting on the same sofa) and crushed them all in a huge hug. "I missed all of you." she finally told them all. Wufei seemed at a loss for words, Duo was grinning, Trowa was still silently brooding about Dorothy, and Heero was… well, smiling. Softly. "We all missed you too, Relena. That's why we came around to visit." Relena grinned and clapped her hands in delight, startling all present. She seemed suddenly younger again, "Great! We can have a sleepover. Of course… if it ever got out that I had a sleepover with a bunch of guys, the press'll be all over me…" she frowned before shrugging it off, "oh well… please?! Gabe'll be thrilled!" Duo grinned, "I'm game!" Wufei instantly smacked him. "You're marrying Hilde in several months Maxwell because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants. Don't go after any more." Duo grinned, winking roguishly at Relena before saying out loud. "Are you kidding? Heero would kill me for putting the moves on his girl." Heero looked like he was ready to kill Maxwell just for saying that. Relena however, was present and he figured seeing a friend being strangled in front of her wouldn't be so much of a pleasant sight.

Relena blinked before shrugging, "Okay… consider me confused. But that's okay. Master bedroom now! Hup-two, all of you!" clapping her hands, she led them into the room before darting out on a trek to find all the sleeping bags (they were not sleeping in the same bed with her!) and Gabriel. After finding, and depositing all of these in the master bedroom (along with plenty of popcorn and movie stuff), she headed into the shower that connected with that room, warning them all firsthand that any who ventured into that place would be instantly castrated. After a quick shower, she came out, rubbing her dripping hair vigorously with a white towel. She found Gabriel and Duo talking avidly and bouncing on his bed, while the others were lounging around the place comfortable in what they were already wearing. Except for Duo wearing only his boxers and a white undershirt. His clothes had been quite torn and battered in the fight back in the manor.

Wufei was looking through the bookshelf at all the titles she'd stocked up on over the years. Quatre was eyeing the admittedly Stradivarius violin (that she still played) in the glass cabinet. Trowa was looking at all the stuffed animals around Gabriel's bed (probably because a lot of them were little lions). And Heero was busy looking at all the little trinkets and other things lying around her room. He was, at moment, just picking up a plain book with a dark cover. "NO! Don't read that!" shrieked Relena running and snatching it, shoved it into a drawer, and slammed it shut. "It's uh, private!" Heero blinked but nodded slowly. "Right… sorry about that." she sighed in relief, before noting that everyone was staring at her. She crossed her arms across her stomach and stared stonily back, "Yes?"

"Nothing, nothing at all lil' lady."

Relena plopped onto the thickly carpeted floor beneath her bare feet and responded to Duo's comment, "Don't call me that, you're no older than me."

"I'm not going to answer that." he replied knowing full well she knew he didn't exactly know his own age very clearly, nor his own birthday. Relena smiled gently as she noticed his sudden silence, leaning back against the bed and patting his leg (which was the closest part of him to her), "It's okay, little baby, you're gonna grow up as big and strong as me in a couple of years." She said in a babying tone, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Duo wrinkled his nose before patting her back on the head in the same condescending way, "I'm not going to worry old lady, I'll stay young all my life!" Relena pouted, "HEY!" and there conversation was funny enough to make Gabriel burst out laughing and tackling Relena, wrestling his aunt to the ground as she began laughing and struggled against the kid's very strong grip.

"Miss Relena?" came a timid little voice from the hallway. Both of them stopped wrestling and the guys (who'd been watching in mute interest) all looked at the little girl standing at the door, peeking in with a shy face. "Yes, Shelley?" asked Relena sitting up. Gabriel turned red and hid behind her, to try and hide his blushing face. "Um, could you come with me to the basement to get Grandma's pillows…? I'm scared, and Grandma won't come with me…" she asked, rather adorably with her impossibly huge eyes. Relena laughed, "Me? Or Gabe?" the little girl blinked, "I don't know. You both make me feel safe." Relena smiled kindly, standing up and grabbing Duo's ear behind her back (who was currently holding in a laugh by biting his lip) yanking on it and shooed Gabe on. "Come on, protect the little girl from things that go bump in the night… you've learned enough to take care of the spiders." Gabe turned red, "Okay," he muttered and walked out after the girl. Relena smiled at the two of them, "They're so cute aren't they?"

Duo yanked his head away from Relena and rubbed his ear before bursting out into laughter, "Man, the kid's got a girlfriend quicker than his dad ever did!" Relena looked at him archly, "How would you know?" Duo shrugged, "I dunno actually, I'm just guessing."

"Well don't guess, that was wrong." She never continued, having decided not to go into her brother's (who was still in a coma) love life. And definitely not mention Noin at all. "Anyway!" she chirped, striding over to the DVD collection next to the wide-screen TV, she began looking through them. They were all quite old. Really old actually, but technology for watching TV hadn't improved much since then (technology had turned mainly to war) and they were content with it all. "Hmmm… Big Daddy? Nah… Armageddon?" she looked around, "Nope, not that one, hmm… Gosford Park?" she blinked, "**GOSFORD PARK**?! Oh god, why do I even **have** this movie?! It was total crap!"

"Never seen it."

"Don't, I swear it sucks." She went back to her collection, "Tomb Raider, Titanic, Harry Potter—"

"HARRY POTTER?!"

"Yeah, I found it okay… Sixth Sense," she shuddered, "Hate that movie, freaked the hell out of me, Carrie II, that one wasn't so bad, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Matrix, 40 Days, 40 Nights, The Lord of the Rings… ooh, how about that one?!" she looked around at the guys who were all looking at each other. "What? It's a good movie!"

"There aren't any cute girls in it!" voiced Duo from his spot on Gabriel's bed. Relena frowned, "I don't have any porns for your tastes Duo, my friend."

"I wasn't asking for one!" he replied insulted, "But how about a movie with **one** cute girl?!" Relena cocked her head, "Hmm… give me a definition of cute, then I might find one."

"Hot, sexy, passionate—" Wufei sighed, throwing a pillow at Duo's face. "Shut up Maxwell, we're not here to hear you rant about sexy women."

"At least it's better than hearing **you** rant about weak women!" he retorted and Wufei would've hit him if Relena had stopped an oncoming brawl and said, "The Mummy? The Mummy Returns? Princess Mononoke? Moulin Rouge?"

"What in the world is that?"

"What, Moulin Rouge? You haven't seen it?"

"No…"

"It's about a girl and a guy who fall in love but the girl's got to screw some duke guy, and the guy isn't supposed to touch her at all and then there's this hassle with a strip club (it looked like it to me) becoming a theatre."

"Whoa, that's a couple of hot babes that I could watch!" yelled Duo and the other guys simply shook their heads and sighed. Even with his fiancée, Duo was impossible. Relena shrugged, "Moulin Rouge it is then." She popped in the tape and settled onto her own bed with a bowl of popcorn and noticed none of the others had moved. "Well? Are you coming? It's a long movie." She warned them all, moving over, and waiting. The opening credits were already coming up. "Come on!" Duo was already seated on Gabriel's bed and she reached over, grabbed his shoulder and yanked him down next to her on her own bed. "Come on then, Duo, you can sit on the bed beside me, when no one else is!" she then promptly flopped onto her stomach, and leaned against Duo's thigh as she continued to munch popcorn. Slowly, everyone else came and seated himself on the admittedly huge bed. She smiled and continued to munch on popcorn as the movie began. As the camera view took a nosedive around the city, Duo made radical comments like, "God that dude is freaky!" "Why the hell's he singing?" "Man, where's the chick?!" until Relena propped herself up on her own elbows before yanking on Duo's braid that was quite close to her hand. "Hush up! This is a musical!" Duo groaned, "And I said yes to this?" he moaned to himself.

"Shhh!" hissed Relena as she concentrated back on the movie. Heero, on the other side of her, couldn't help but notice how into the movie she was. How she sang along at some parts with her relatively good voice (she would never be a true singer and knew it, but she liked to anyway) and how she laughed and cried so easily with everything that happened.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Miss Relena, we didn't know you had guests over!" cried two female voices at the door. Relena looked up to see two of the maids (old enough to be around her age) at the door holding the feather dusters. "We thought you'd be out tonight… we're so sorry…"

"No it's all right… if all your work is, done come and join us. We're watching a movie." One of them looked at the TV and she brightened, "I **love** this movie!" she immediately plopped herself on the floor next to Duo, and the other, shaking her head at the other girl, took a place on the floor. Duo grinned at the one closer to him, noticing how nice a view he had with this height. Relena was right next to him, noticing his gaze and sighed. She'd have to beat some sense into him, and perhaps the realization that he was **ENGAGED** already would come to him.

One of the girls reached over, snagging a handful of popcorn from Duo's bowl and munching happily as she watched. He looked quite startled at having food taken away from him (you recall… this is Duo we're talking about) and the other maid immediately smacked her friend. "We're not here to fool around, remember?"

"Then what are you here for?" asked Heero semi-suspiciously. "We're here on an invitation from Miss Relena when we were supposed to be working… I don't think this is proper…" The more prudent one looked rather worried. Relena laughed, "Leigh, you're perfectly welcome here, along with you Natalie. This is a movie you two and I have watched in here so many times I can't count."

****

Knock. **Knock.**

"Miss Relena?" asked someone else from the doorway. "There's a young lady at the door and I wasn't sure if I should let her in because of, well…" she hesitated, shaking. Relena frowned and paused the movie, getting up off the bed and taking her gun from the dresser. "I'll be back in a second." She told them all, and slipped out, making sure they didn't follow as she ran to the front door. There, on the doorstep, was Dorothy with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "Hey Rel. Can I crash here tonight?" she asked, rather sardonically. Relena blinked, "But I thought, you know, Trowa…"

"He's not going to bother me, nor am I going to bother him, or anyone else… can I?"

"You know I would never say no." Dorothy smiled and walked in, taking off the slip-in sandals she'd worn and glanced at Relena's gun. "So you were suspicious."

"Who wouldn't be with callers that come around in the early hours of the morning?" replied Relena rhetorically as she closed the door behind Dorothy and walked with her back to the master bedroom where everyone still was. When they reached it, she poked her head in and announced the news, "Hey guys, we've got another guest here!"

"Bring 'em in, you've got a big enough room!" called back Duo as Relena walked in. Trowa, who'd just eaten a small handful of popcorn, looking up at the platinum-blonde girl at the door behind Relena and almost choked. "Dor-Dorothy!" he gasped. She shot him a wry smile, "Happy to see me, lover?" she asked sardonically.

"Don't call me that." he replied stiffly.

"Relax, I was just joking." She told him just as stiffly before staking out a spot on the bed nearer to Duo's side, farther away from Trowa, next to Relena. It was only when the movie ended, and they were at a loss to do, when Duo got an idea that they later wondered whether or not they were out of their minds to listen to. But listen to it they did, and a game of Truths was played, the alcohol part along with it. It ended with everyone quite (hell, completely) drunk.

Trowa and Dorothy found themselves hanging over each other laughing at something or other that came up in their (strange) conversation (something that ranged from dancing elephants, to pink giraffes and purple lions) with each other. "Mm, yoush smell so *hic* goodsh." Slurred Dorothy, burying her face in his white undershirt while her hands roved along the nape of his neck. Trowa was quite as gone as she was (along with everyone else) and his hands weren't idle either as they wandered up and down her back, his face buried in her long blonde hair. "Yoush have such *hic* pretty hair…" he murmured, his words not slurring as much as hers but still quite inhibited. "I think you'dsh taste even better." She replied changing her position in his lap and with her tongue began slowly to stroke his skin with her tongue, beginning with as much of his chest as was visible above the undershirt, making a trail up his neck and where she met his lips in a hard kiss. She could taste the alcohol in his mouth, and he the alcohol in hers. She was already sucking on his tongue and as he stood up with her in his arms and carried his light burden to one the bedrooms next to Relena's (which she had earlier said were for any of them to sleep in) to continue on without interruption.

He sat heavily on the side of the bed with her still in his arms and she continued kissing him, and sucking hard on his tongue, her hands sliding up underneath his shirt to feel his heated skin. His own hands were pulling her down on him, and then sliding down the back of her pajama shorts, and realized that she was wearing a thong. He pushed her shirt up, and off her, so that all she was wearing was a bra (he couldn't tell if it was black or gray, or whether or not he cared about the color, he was too drunk to think) and her pajama shorts. She moaned and scrabbled at his shirt, finally able to get it off as well. It didn't take long for things to go too far, when you're completely inhibited, can barely remember your own name, and completely unsupervised. Things did. And the aftermath of it all would hit them quite hard the next day.

~*~*~*~

End Chapter. Ooh, long one! Aren't you proud of me? *beams* I had an idea and kept with it! I'm working on the next chapter now, and it's just about done… just wait awhile, I've got other fics to update on. *grins* *then pouts as she remembers something* But some of you PLEASE read Breaking Through re-edited! I worked hard on that and I only got **1** review (I'm very happy that one person reviewed of course) but I thought it good enough for all the HY/RP fans out there. It really is better than the original. Oh well, please **REVIEW**!!!!!!!!!!!!


	2. The Aftermath

Title: Vampiric Sacrifice

Author: stefani teee a.k.a. Koneko ^Å^

© Tales Spinners Inc.

Koneko-chan says!

Hey ppl! Once again, I have another chapter out! Sorry about where I left you… actually I'm not, that wasn't really a cliffhanger, right? Right. Not really… okay I give up, who cares if it was or not? Here's the next one!

****

Chapter Two: Aftermath

~*~*~*~

The next morning, Relena woke up to find herself snuggled against something warm (and a bad taste in her mouth, a hangover… but we won't get into that). She opened her eyes to see that the warm thing was someone's very smooth, very muscled chest. She raised her eyes to look up at who's face it was, and almost shrieked with surprise when she found that it was Heero, sleeping in the bed beside her. Her hands moved, underneath the bedcovers to herself, and found to her distress (and semi-relief) that her pants were where she wanted them to be, but her shirt definitely was not. And by the looks of it, the same went with Heero. It took only a few more moments of panic from Relena before Heero's eyes opened, blinking and grimacing at the bad taste in his mouth (and the mega-kiloton headache that was pounding in his head) and then in shock at Relena's panicked face. He then looked lower to where his slow-working brain (at the moment) processed the fact that she wasn't wearing anything as far as he could see (he didn't look too far) before his eyes snapped back up to her face. "What the hell happened last night?!"

Relena shook her head hopelessly and he felt a sudden stab of fear shoot through him. "Oh god…" Relena grabbed his arm as he was about to get out of the bed and as far away from her as possible. "We didn't go all the way, that's for sure." she remarked as she looked down at her strapless bra, and her sweatpants. She also noted his bare chest, but definitely not completely naked. Heero took only a breath of relief, running a hand through his messy hair. "God, that was some crazy night," she muttered sitting up, and he tossed her something, directly in her face, but not on purpose. After she'd gotten the thing off her head, she found it was her baby-tee. "Aw thanks, you shouldn't have." She drawled, grinning before looking up for anyone else. She found Duo cuddled up against a pillow, Quatre sprawled over Gabriel's bed, and Wufei snoring softly from his spot leaning against her dresser. She looked around and around again. "Uh… Heero?" she asked, as he grabbed his shirt, pulling it on. "What?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where Trowa is would you? Or Dorothy for that matter?"

"I woke up later than you Relena. I don't have any idea." His eyes widened as he noted hers, "God, you don't think…"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE **YOU** DOING HERE!" shrieked a voice from the other room. Relena winced, "We found Dorothy," she muttered, "HOW THE HELL SHOULD **I** KNOW?!" roared back another voice, male this time. "And I think we've also got Trowa covered too." concluded Heero as they ran out into the hall, and stood there in the hall, not wanting to embarrass their friends any more than they already were. The door slammed open and the two of them, still yelling at each other, Dorothy wrapped in a sheet, and Trowa with a towel swiped from the top of the dresser. "GET OUT OF HERE!" shrieked Dorothy, pointing out the door, before doing a double take and blanching when she found the two of them standing there. "Oh god, you're awake already…" she moaned, leaning against the doorjamb. "What the hell is happening to me." Relena caught her friend in a huge hug as the taller girl sank against her friend, still in shock from the rude awakening.

Trowa just stood there, looking rather foolish, and wondering what the hell had happened." Relena smiled sympathetically, "You too, huh, Dor?" Dorothy's head shot up and she whipped her head between Relena and Heero. "You… you…" she managed to say. Relena shook her head, "Not as far as you two went, I'm afraid." Dorothy dropped her head back on her friend's shoulder. "This is not happening to me… I'm just going to wake up in my own house, in my own bed…" she tried to slap herself awake, but Relena caught her hand. "Sorry, but you're quite awake, sugar, and I'm afraid you're going to have to stay that way for the day." She grinned before holding her own head. "But that doesn't mean we have to like it… damn, I remember now why I hate alcohol." Dorothy nodded, looking rather queasy. Heero had not been idle during this girl-to-girl talk, he'd gotten Trowa into his right mind again, and quite dressed while Relena kept both of them out of the hall, giving the guys a little privacy. "What the hell happened last night?" moaned Trowa, and Heero had to raise his head in surprise when he noted the overuse of… (well, the word 'emotion' itself has been way overused in GW fics already…) feeling with everything he said. "I don't know. I wake up in the same bed as Relena, and then I find you've been sleeping with her best friend." Trowa groaned again, running a hand through his hair. "Why the hell did I come here?"

"I'll be asking the same question to myself after I get **you** sorted out," promised Heero as he tossed Trowa his pants which were thrown somewhere under the bed (he didn't even want to think how **that** had happened) and resumed his search for the guy's shirt. "What the hell happened between you two?" he finally asked.

"I don't know! I don't remember!"

"I wasn't talking about that, I was asking why you and her broke up." Trowa stiffened, "It's none of your concern." Heero raised an eyebrow, "Should I tell all of this to the rest of the guys in the next room that you've been 'knocking', as I'm sure Duo will put it, with Relena's best friend?" Trowa groaned, bringing his head in his hands. "Dammit, I can't even remember much…"

"So, tell me." Trowa looked up at the ceiling, "I told her I was in love with someone else." he said finally. Heero looked at him, wonderingly. "What in the heck were you **thinking**?! You were already planning to propose to that girl and suddenly, out of nowhere, you bring in this other girl?!" Trowa turned and glared at Heero. "I don't need you to tell me that." he spat as he pulled on his shirt (which he found hanging from the chandelier). "Dorothy was everything to for the last few years, you were thinking of asking her to marry you… who is the girl?"

"A girl I met when before Operation Meteor… her name's Midii Une." Heero looked at his friend in disbelief, "You broke up with your girlfriend because of a child that you met when you were a kid, Trowa?" he asked slowly, wondering if the guy was still drunk and completely delusional. "I broke up with Dorothy because she came back into my life," explained Trowa, "she found me, and I felt like Nanashi all over again when I knew her that long ago, and she's still in love with me." Heero groaned, holding his head in his hands, "It's too early for this. I'm no guidance counselor, heck, I just woke up sleeping next to a girl I haven't seen for several **years**!"

"And that 'haven't seen for several years' was in no part my fault." countered Relena from the door, leaning on the doorframe and holding a tray with several glasses of water mixed with antacid tablets, and some aspirin. "If your hangovers are as big as mine, you'd better take some." Heero raised an eyebrow, "You heard?"

"Not **only** me, baby. But this lonely little chick here." She wrapped an arm around Dorothy, who was once again dressed (in Relena's clothes) in a tank top and shorts. Dorothy didn't even look at Trowa, but he could tell she was hurt and he wished above all else that he could run over to her, take her in his arms and apologize over and over until she forgave him. Instead, he looked away. Relena sighed and met Heero's gaze. He shook his head and she shrugged, "Well then, drink up or else I'll shove it down your throat for you!" she said cheerfully before wincing and holding her head. "Ow… almost forgot my **own** hangover…" she passed the glasses and the aspirin around so that the guys looked relatively better. Dorothy remained silent, and she was getting that 'Ice Queen' look on her face again. "I'm going to see about the rest of them…" she said, walking out the door and back into Relena's room. 

She found Quatre and Wufei still asleep, but Duo was in the bathroom, retching into the toilet. She groaned as she forced herself not to hurl as well. "Duo? You okay?" she asked, peering into the bathroom before sighing and walking towards the boy still puking his guts out. Shaking her head, she began rubbing his back, trying to make him loosen his tensed muscles. As soon as he had gotten control of himself again, she held out the tissues she swiped from the tissue box on the sink counter. "Morning, Maxwell."

"Hey." He stood up, flushing the toilet and his face looked rather pale, contrasting to the black he was wearing. She looked him over with a critical eye. "You know, you look nice with your hair down." Duo blinked before running his hands through his hair. "My hair? You're right, damn, when did **that** happen?" Dorothy shrugged, "I have no idea—"

"You'd better be done with the bathroom Maxwell!" yelled Wufei, rushing into the bathroom, and straight for the toilet, his face rather green. Dorothy sighed, "Man you two must've drunk more than I did last night." She smiled when she noticed Wufei's hair was down too and hanging across his neck and helped keep his hair away from his face. _God, you'd never know I woke up to find my ex-boyfriend in bed with me_. Wufei finally lifted his head up and this time, it was Duo handing him the tissues. "You okay now?" asked Dorothy as she let go of his hair.

"Yes, Miss Catalonia, I am fine now." She grinned (a surprising sight, but she looked incredibly nice when she did smile like that) before grabbing both of them by the shoulder and marching them back into the bedroom, where she handed each of the one of the glasses with water and antacid tablets. After swallowing, she also gave them the aspirin. "Better?" she asked. Duo nodded, but Wufei shrugged. Dorothy raised an eyebrow at the young Chinese man. "Damn, I can see why Sally adores you." she muttered. Wufei turned red when his 'girlfriend' (he couldn't admit even **that** to himself) was mentioned. Duo on the other hand grinned rather cheekily, as he was feeling slightly better. Wufei on the other hand said nothing else and began the tasking of tying up his hair again. Duo too, was beginning to work on it, looking for a brush anywhere. But among Relena's things, he couldn't find one at all.

"Here, let me help." offered Dorothy, holding up a brush, which she'd swiped from her open duffel bag beside her. Before Duo knew it, he was sitting on the floor, she was sitting on the bed, and running the brush through his hair as she got the kinks out of it. It's a funny thing how long hair can get so kinky once in a while, and even Duo was surprised when Dorothy finally got his hair smooth and rippling again… in record timing. "How'd you do that?" he asked amazed, leaning his head back and looking up at her. Her upper lip quirked and she held up the tip of one long lock of silver-blonde hair. "I've had practice." She replied as she began braiding his hair for him as well. "So how's Hilde?" she finally asked. 

He sighed, "Pregnant."

"You act as if that's not a good thing… you two weren't expecting it were you?"

"Naw… I mean it's great and all but… now everything's so different and…" she smiled rather sympathetically. "I know what you mean, I've seen it happen with a certain friend of mine." She finished the plait and patted him on the top of his head. "You're done." He got to his feet (slowly, and rubbing his forehead). "Damn, I only remember not to get drunk **after** I get drunk."

"Happens to the best of us." she replied, before ushering him out the room, "Time for you to join Wufei and the others downstairs at the breakfast table… the maids are always happy for more guests." She then turned her attention to Quatre who was still sprawled on Gabriel's bed. She walked over to the bed and kneeled on the floor beside the boy. Even in sleep, the boy was a golden-haired angel. How the hell could he manage to look like that? He'd been in the war, he'd killed so many people… how could he still look so innocent?! It seemed so unfair. "Quatre? Quatre honey, it's time to wake up." She said softly, tapping him on the cheek. He stirred, but still didn't wake up. "Come on Quatre, rise and shine…" he finally opened his eyes to look at her, before shutting them quickly at the stream of sunlight in his eyes. "Too… bright." She raised an eyebrow before tapping his cheek again, "Wake up now like a good little boy and be brave about facing a morning of hell after getting drunk." Quatre looked up at her bleary-eyed. "Why did I get drunk again?" he asked rhetorically.

"Peer pressure works every time." she replied, helping him up and handing him the glass. "You didn't get as drunk as any of the rest of us though, from the foggy things I can remember…"

"Drunk enough."

"Quite true… come on, aspirin now." He gulped down the little white tablets before focusing again. "Hell, I hate growing up."

"If you ask me, you're already grown up."

"And if you ask me, I'd say the both of you had better **get** up." The both of them looked up to see Relena standing at the door, smiling cheerfully. Dorothy groaned. "Even getting drunk as hell and waking up with a total hangover can't faze you, can it Rel?"

"Sure it can. But I'm not going to explain it—hey!" she shrieked as something barreled into her. "G'morning Lena!" yelled little Gabriel from his position with his arm wrapped around her leg. "Whoa, morning Gabe, how was your night?"

"Shelley said her grandmother said she should get me to stay with them last night 'cause you and the rest of them were going to be busy talking about stuff I shouldn't hear. What shouldn't I hear? Is it more bad stuff? Because, I found out Shelley is scareder than me." he looked quite proud of this statement. Relena smiled, "Well then, you run along and find Shelley and invite her to eat with you, okay?" Gabriel suddenly narrowed his eyes, "Is that a 'date'?" he asked, as if it was a foreign word and looking suspicious. Relena blinked. "Um, no it's not a date, it's inviting a friend over for breakfast, and it's not even that, she lives here." Gabriel smiled, "Okay then!" and rushed off. Relena then burst out laughing when he was out of earshot. "That kid's going to be even more obsessed with Shelley when he hits puberty."

Dorothy stood up, pulling the hem of the denim shorts she'd borrowed up higher as they already begun to slip onto her hips. She didn't notice Quatre's red face until Relena had left for breakfast. "What?" she asked, looking down at him. "Nothing, nothing." He replied, gulping at the sight of her slim legs and the short shorts that were directly in his face. "Well then, come on, let's get moving, I want food." She walked out of the room first thinking, _he's such a **guy**…_ (Any girl out there would understand this statement… probably some guys too).

Back in the other room, conversation hadn't been as easy-going as Dorothy's had been. A rewind back to what had been happening goes something like this. (Alvin and the Chipmunks-like squeaking) (lots of jerking hands and heads and fast-pace backwards movement)

"All right now, Tro, you're going to explain yourself." she said seriously, dropping the light-hearted act as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. "Who is this Midii Une who has **such** a hold on you? Explain her?"

"She's a girl I knew long time ago."

"All right, what did she do to make you so worked up about her?" she asked. She sat down on the edge of the bed, between Trowa and Heero. "She suddenly showed up on my doorstep one night, and I don't know, the moment I saw her it seemed as if everyone else in the world had disappeared except for her alone."

"Then what did you do?" Trowa shrugged, "Talked." Relena raised an eyebrow. "And **how** does she look?"

"Long, wavy, platinum-blonde hair, big blue eyes, slim…" he trailed off. "I guess you could say perfect body." Relena nodded, raising her other eyebrow, "And you're telling me that when this stunningingly beautiful young woman that's still head-over-heels in love with you shows up on your doorstep, you invite her in for a cup of tea and crumpets? Trowa, give me a break!"

"Hey, I was still dating Dorothy at the time!"

"And I'm guessing you broke up with her the next day?" Trowa looked rather uncomfortable, but he kept his stubborn silence. Relena sighed, "Heero, can I talk with Trowa? Alone?" she asked meaningfully. Heero shrugged, "I'll be taking a shower." he replied, getting up and walking in the bathroom that adjoined the room. "Here!" she called, tossing a towel at him. He caught it and nodded at her, "Thanks."

"You'd better be thanking me! I would've missed a great show!" she winked before making a shoo-shoo motion with her hands. Heero took the hint and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. The next thing Trowa knew, he was on his back on the bed and Relena was straddling his stomach and had grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt. "Hey—"

"Listen to me." she interrupted, her eyes steely. "I'm not going to be all goody-goody on you like everyone thinks I am. Trust me Tro, you don't want to mess with me… and you'd better stop doing this to my best friend." He glared at her, surprising her with his anger. He was quite well known for being completely calm in all situations. But now he exploded, "What do you know?!" he was yelling at her now, "You've always been chasing around after Heero, and now you've got him eating out of your hand!"

She slapped him across the face with a flick of her hand, and the blow stunned him… there was such venom in that single motion. "Dorothy is my best friend. This Midii Une suddenly appears out of nowhere, a girl you haven't seen for **years** and you drop your current girlfriend, who I **know** you were going to propose to, like a bad habit. Excuse me, but those factors don't work out somehow, do they?"

Trowa glared at her, "I love her all right?" Relena raised her eyebrows (she did that a lot… she had quite an expressive face) and her whole demeanor suddenly changed. "Really?" she asked huskily, "I remember you once might've said that to me too, you know." She ran her fingers down his face, tracing his cheekbones to the nape of his neck and her legs twining around his thighs as she leaned her face closer, her fingers massaging the back of his head with the pads of her fingers. "Didn't you?" he took a deep shuddering breath trying to push her off, but she shook off his attempts. "Well?"

"Yes." he finally managed to say. Her smile was sultry as she continued the game, "And you were always so worried about me… and I know for a fact that you checked up on me. I wonder what that means, hmm?" she asked, leaning her body against his and having one hand come up and trace his face from his temple downwards to his lips. "Because, if what you said is true… you've fallen in and out of love too many times for it to be real. And now you've got to make a choice. Who do you **love**? Because I know for sure, **no** woman would wait forever." She finished, suddenly getting up off him and straightening her clothes. Trowa sat up, his big green eyes wide. "Am I right?" she demanded, her arms crossed and eyeing him closely.

"I… I don't know." He looked lost, and she suddenly had to take pity on him. "Aw, Tro… you're just so lost in this I wonder if we'll ever make you find your way again?" she came back, bringing him into a tight hug and placing a small kiss on his cheek. He found himself wrapping his arms around her and hugging her even tighter. "I'm sorry, Trowa." She whispered into his ear, "I hate seeing any one of you going through any of this…" she pulled away and he let her. She smiled sadly, before glancing over at the bathroom door, "You can come out now Heero, I distinctly noticed that I hadn't been hearing any water running for the past ten minutes." Heero came out, his hair still damp, but a frown fixed on his face. "I think I'm losing my touch."

"No, I just know my own house too well." She replied grinning at him. "Now come on boys, on to the breakfast table, I'm famished." She went for the door, pausing only once to look back at Trowa, "Remember what I said to you. You've got a choice, sure, but for god's sakes **make sure** before you decide something as big as this! And by the way, I'm letting you off easy right now because the others will start to wonder if I take too long questioning you. But trust me… you've got some more explaining to do." then she was gone. Trowa looked from the open door to Heero. "How you can ever get that girl, I have no idea." He said slowly. Heero raised his eyebrow, "Just leave her alone, and you won't be bothered." He walked out after Relena. Trowa let out a low laugh, "I may not get my own love life Heero, but I can see through you like a pane of glass." _No woman would wait forever, huh?_ Trowa smiled, _I know one girl who's faithful to the one **she** loves… enough so that she'd wait till Judgement Day for him…_

He got up and walked out of the room… come to think about it… he was hungry. Behind him, at the window, a figure clothed in a thick cloak watched him leave the room. "Hmm… he's going to be a little more trouble than I thought."

Relena finally found the two maids that had disappeared the other night. "We're sorry Miss Relena. We didn't want to get too drunk and then when it got a little too late, we left… we're sorry if we worried you." Relena smiled, "It's okay… I just thought of all the horrible things that could've happened if you'd gotten drunk with us and decided to walk outside…" she shuddered, "and me finding you with your throats ripped out." One of the grimaced, "Man that would suck," she muttered. Relena grinned, "I'll say." She turned, waving at them as she left. "I'm off for breakfast… I'm half starved."

Duo was already through a third of the food set out and still going strong when she got there. "Hey, hey, leave some for the host willya?" she asked laughing as she seated herself beside Dorothy (who was picking at her food still) and nudging her friend. "Come on, eat up, we've got a real big gig tonight." Dorothy looked sick when she heard that. "Can someone else go…? I'm not sure…" Relena quirked her upper lip, "I don't think any of the guys are up to dressing down in a stripper's outift, Dor." The girl had to laugh at the picture, "I can think of Duo doing it… but Heero would probably shoot your head off if you ever suggested it to him." Relena grinned, "You never know… huh Heero?" she asked flinging an arm around him in that casual way of hers. "You're never going to make me wear a dress." Relena raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?" she asked mischievously, "I can be **very** convincing…" Dorothy sighed and grabbed her friend's shoulder, pulling her away from Heero and pointing to the plate in front of her friend's face. "This is called food. And it is for you to eat, who cannot survive a day without. Flirting, you can. Now eat." She then proceeded to sip the glass of orange juice.

The princess looked unrepentant and began to polish off her own meal. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. She loved it and wanted to hop into a convertible and drive… she winced, brought out of her thoughts by Dorothy's elbow in her side. She'd stopped eating, but now she hissed in pain. Dorothy gasped as she jerked Relena's shirt upwards, so it showed her stomach, and the bandages wrapped around her. "God Rel, why didn't you call me?"

"I was perfectly fine… it's not that serious." Dorothy raised an eyebrow, "I'd say it was." she said bluntly as she examined the other 'battle wounds'. She winced when she saw the claw marks on her forearm, "Damn, that must've hurt." Everyone else was trying not to listen in as Dorothy examined her best friend. "You know… what are you going to do about tonight?"

"I guess there's going to be a lot of cover-up, won't there? Relax, it's not like I'm going to screw every guy there."

"You'd better not." agreed Dorothy, "Now **that** would be a little too much to hide from the press."

"Don't remind me…" Relena expertly undid the bandages around her stomach and reaching behind her, discarded them in the wastebasket behind her. "I've got to visit Adrian today."

"Adrian?! Oh god, you're not seriously thinking about **that** vampire are you?"

"What else can I do? Walk in on the guys looking like a Smurf? I'm black and blue all over!" Dorothy's lip quirked, "That's a strange turn-on, but there could be guys that go for it!" she said desperately, not thinking how absolutely ridiculous that sounded."

"Ten to your one that those two don't." 

Dorothy sighed, "But… **Adrian**, Rel?"

"Whoa, whoa, who the hell's this Adrian guy?"

"A vampire both Relena and I know… he's… um… what's the word… obsessed with her." Duo's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. "Shit, **what**? And you **want** to go see this guy because?"

"He can heal me… even while he's coming on to me." replied Relena slowly, looking weary. "Trust me, he's a strange one, but he won't hurt me." Heero was looking rather sick and it wasn't because of a hangover she didn't think, "You mean to say he's more than interested in **you**?"

"Is it so impossible for me to be attractive to those of the opposite sex?"

"Uh, no, but…"

"No, I'm not completely in love with him. I should hope you'd know that by now." She raised an eyebrow at Heero, before throwing her arm around him again, "Why, interested?" she asked in a breathy voice and looking up at him through her eyelashes. She noted that his breath caught for half a moment before saying, rather bluntly, "It doesn't matter." She sighed, lifting her arm off him and returning to her thoughts and her food. "Heero, Heero, Heero… you're too serious, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yes."

"Other than Duo."

"…" she looked up at his silence, "Oh no, not **that** again!" she moaned, "I thought we all got past the 'Perfect Soldier' thing!" Dorothy grinned, it was so hard to imagine Relena as the same person she knew that fought so many demons. Always, when around something evil, her tone would drop to a subzero temperature and she was an ice queen with quick sharp words and unshakable concentration. Then when around people she was comfortable with (like those present) she was this warm, funny, quirky girl again.

"…and I did **NOT** have anything to do with that and you know it!" argued Relena, breaking into Dorothy's thoughts as she verbally wrestled with Duo across the table.

"Huh?"

"Come on Dor, agree with me, it was not my fault that I sprained my ankle when I was making up that Ban for the Development of Weapons and Heero found me!"

Dorothy couldn't resist teasing her friend, "We-ell, it **did** sound amazingly suspicious, you know?"

"DOROTHY!"

"Yes? I am merely speaking the truth… what **did** happen there in the rose garden…?" Duo's eyes grew round with suppressed mischief. "Hey, did the two of you make out like you did when we stopped Ralph and Chris from stealing our gundams?!" Relena glared at Duo, "Last time I checked, some things will remain **PRIVATE** or I might make several of your own secrets more… well-known." Duo choked on his orange juice and was sent into a fit of coughing and pounding his chest.

"BACK to the subject on hand… what did you do with Heero then?" Relena glanced at Heero (who had remained rather silent, quelling the instinct to beat down that braided (BEEP) across the table) who shrugged. "Nothing… just talked." Dorothy raised her eyebrow, "And I fell asleep. He carried me back to the castle… I think."

"Ooh, how romantic…" Duo squealed in a high falsetto version of a 'girl' which earned several ice-cold glares from the two girls seated in front of him. Dorothy couldn't resist teasing the two though, "Did you really, Heero?" she asked, grinning subtly as all eyes turned to the stoic young man seated there. He just nodded once and returned to his breakfast. The man loved his bacon a lot more than the others did, it seemed. Relena sighed, "Listen all of you, what I do with my life, and what Heero does with his (unless we get into shit that we're morons about and can't see) is none of your business." Dorothy caught the warning sign. Relena was **almost** like Commander Une as she used to be nowadays. She was no schizophrenic just yet, but they could be defined as huge mood swings. "Well then," she said hastily, trying to change the subject quickly, "we'll go see Adrian later today and get you fixed up quickly before heading off to your political meeting…"

Relena groaned, "Don't remind me. I ache in every bone in my body, I do **not** want to think of talking to all those people just yet…"

Dorothy shrugged, "Well then, we'll get moving towards Adrian's place **now** and get you 'ache-free', okay?" she was suddenly completely eager to please, and all present (and knew her quite well) looked at her strangely. This was not the Dorothy they knew that walked through life with an icy disposition of 'I-don't-give-damn-what-you-think-of-me-and-I-won't-lower-myself-to-your-level'. How many times had they heard her being called a snooty bitch? Case closed. So… what was happening?

Quatre caught the red light flashing though and abruptly changed the subject to something else (I don't know what) and the rest of breakfast was finished with comfortable chatter amongst all of them. Really, even Heero and our notably silent Trowa cannot manage to keep silent when surrounded by people you know and love. (K: Come on, admit it, there'll always be a friendship love between all of them no matter what.)

Then, the inevitable happened. The doorbell rung, and when the maid came, quite nervously to fetch Relena, she got ready for the worst. "If the worst comes to the worst," she told them, "and they stampede in here, make for the closets, rooms, I don't care where. Just go, you hear me?" she told them as she walked out to face her doom. "You're kidding… vampires? Here? In broad daylight?!" asked Duo, shocked.

"No you idiot, the **press** are here… do you know **what** would happen to Relena if they found out you guys were here all night?!" Dorothy replied, surly again as she stood at the door, listening.

"Yes, I **am** going to the board meeting this afternoon—no, I don't need to go see a doctor, I'll be fine the next time you see me—NO, the rumors are completely false, I was in my house all night long and my staff will vouch for me." Dorothy gritted her teeth, Relena was not at all like her normal, polished political self and she could tell her friend was pissed off. "…I'm sorry, I don't know where that rumor came from… no, no one else but a friend came over… I find her perfectly capable of keeping herself safe—THANK you all, and **no** you may not come in just yet, there is an… awful mess concerning my brother. Good day, I shall see you all at the board meeting I suppose." The door was shut and Relena appeared in the doorway again, cursing under her breath.

"Damn reporters, always wanting dirt on me and my private life."

"Comes with the job, doesn't it?" asked Dorothy airily, as she herself knew quite well how a family well-involved with the government was followed around by the press, and getting the 'lowdown' on them was always what they looked for. Relena had a nasty expression on her face (as rare as it was). "I do **not** need this." she fumed, clenching her fists. If she had been in the gym, she would've sought out the nearest punching bag and pummeled it. But as it was, there was no punching bag in sight. So she had to settle for doing nothing. She then surveyed all of them, and their cleared dishes. "If you're done, I'll have the servants clear up." She said finally, before turning on her heel and walking towards her room. "I am going to change and then I'm going to see Adrian before that stupid political meeting. She was out of there with a slam of the door.

"Was it something we did…?" asked Duo warily. "No, she's just not in the mood." replied Dorothy airily, though she had a worried look on her face. She turned away from the door that Relena had exited, and faced them all. "If you guys want to come… well, we're not against it. But if you have anything else to do…"

Duo grimaced, "Man now that you mention it, Hilde's gonna freak!" Dorothy raised an eyebrow, "About what? You not coming back, or your drinking yourself into a stupor?" All color drained out of the American's face. "Both." He said as he went for the door. "Tell Relena I'll be coming back so I can tag along for the joyride down to the strip club," he added before he disappeared out of the mansion. "Be careful!" Dorothy called after him. She turned to the others, "Anyone else leaving?" she asked dryly. Wufei finally said, "I have to leave… I have an… appointment with Sally down at Preventers HQ." Dorothy barely stifled a laugh, "In a broom closet?" she couldn't resist asking. It was so much more worthwhile when Wufei turned an embarrassing shade of red and began to head for the door, "Are you coming tonight?" asked Dorothy, giving him a mock-sultry look through her eyelashes. She knew more than to put the moves on Sally's boy-toy. The ex-Commander had quite a left-hook on her. And Dorothy didn't want to be on the wrong end of it.

Wufei hesitated, this was something that questioned anything questionable about ethics. But he was a red-blooded man after all, and he finally said, "Yes… to see that you two are all right." He disappeared with that as anyone present could hear the laughter that came from that particular room. "And then there were three. Staying?"

"Yes."

"Of course."

"Sure."

"Good." Relena said, appearing from the doorway in denim shorts and a white tee shirt. "I like company nowadays—" she was interrupted by a sudden beeping. Relena sighed, and pulled out her cell phone. "Hello, Relena Dorlian—oh dear… oh, yes, yes I realize that… no, I didn't… **more** work? … Well, yes, I suppose I could… but the funding for it is just too—" this continued on, her attempts to talk continually interrupted by the other person on the line. Finally, she switched it off with a polite goodbye. Then she slapped the cover shut and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. The smile she forced on her lips was fake enough to make even Gabriel (who had just walked in) look twice at her with a raised eyebrow. "Auntie Rellie, you look funny, what's wrong with your face?" the question was asked innocently, but all present knew better than to act upon Godzilla-Relena (who was buried inside that perfect little princess's body) to literally spit fire.

Relena made a sort of choking and swallowing sound and she took a deep breath, and looked down at the little boy, her lips tight. "I'm just… I'm just tired of all those old people bothering me."

"Then tell them to go and play."

"Too bad they'd screech like a parrot if a speck of dirt from a sandbox touched them." muttered Relena under her breath. Gabriel didn't seem to understand, but he knew when to leave the older girl alone. "Um… I want to go visit Daddy. I'll see you later." he raced off. Relena bit her lip as she watched him run off and she sighed, leaning against a wall. "This shouldn't happen to him… Brother might never wake up and he's still believes with all his soul that he'll come back." This was one of the first times Dorothy found Relena this close to crying about it. During Noin's funeral, she hadn't shed a tear, but merely looked at the torn body (that had been heavily made up) with a grim look on her face. And her brother… Dorothy shuddered. She could've admitted that once, she'd felt something for the platinum-haired leader of the Rebels. But that was a long time ago, and she'd changed, certainly. But to think of his already pale face as pale as death and all the monitors hooked onto him…

"Come on then." Relena's voice interrupted her thoughts and she shook her head to clear them. Now was not the time to think of past adoration. Relena grabbed a jacket and smiled, suddenly seeming to be cheerful again. "I haven't driven in my own car with a bunch of people for a long time… and besides, your costume is in the back, Dor." All men present turned red and looked down towards their shoes, inspecting invisible scuffs or grass stains. Dorothy smiled rather dryly, "I don't think they appreciate the thought of us 'dressing down', Rel."

"They wanted to come, that's their own concern." Dorothy smirked and as Relena headed outside for her car, she winked at Heero. "Better wear some baggier pants, Heero baby, when you come." She disappeared out the door without another word to wait for them. Soon enough, they all found themselves crammed into the car. Thankfully, without two of the gundam boys, they found themselves (relatively) comfortable in the car. "DON'T CRUSH THE SILK!" shrieked Relena as Trowa almost sat down on an article of clothing that had been accidentally left on the seat. He held it up and stared at it. "What the hell…?"

Dorothy glared, turning around from her seat (riding shotgun) and flailing her hands.

"It's part of the costume! **Put it down**! The press could still be out there!"

"You're going to wear **this** little thing?!" he demanded gaping, shaking the circular white thing that resembled a beribboned white lacy headband. "NO! **Relena's** wearing it! Now put it **down**!" she yelled, grabbing it and bringing it below the windows.

"WHAT?!" gaped Quatre as he stared at the thing. Living with his multiple sisters, the thing looked vaguely familiar… "What is it?"

"It's a garter, Oh Innocent One." replied Relena rather flatly as she brought the car into reverse and eased out onto the empty street.

"You're wearing something that would need a **garter**?!" gaped Quatre. 

She looked up at the rearview mirror, her blue eyes dancing. "Oh, so I misunderstood… you're not as innocent as you seem." Quatre turned rather red and looked away, hiding behind the seat, out of view of the reflecting mirror. "And no, I'll probably not wear that thing… it was just in case…" she rolled her eyes, "If Trowa freaks at that little article, keep his eyes closed until he's poured several alcoholic beverages down his throat before he sees us when we're dressed."

"Oh god… what are you wearing?" Heero looking rather… er, uncomfortable, when he asked this question.

"I'll not want to spoil the pleasure of seeing the 'Perfect Soldier's bug out like a frog's." she replied grinning before bringing the car to a stop. "We're here!" she sang out. "Here?!" gasped Quatre staring at the rather familiar house. "Your Adrian wouldn't happen to be… Adrian Townsend the multibillionaire?!"

"Second only to you, actually." replied Relena casually, looking at the mansion with distaste. "And as you can see, your decorating crew did a much better job."

"Adrian Townsend is a **vampire**?!" Relena looked rather surprised, "Well, yes." Quatre shook his head figuring out the words in his head, "Let me rephrase… and you haven't ripped off his head yet?" he asked as delicately as he could. "No. Adrian is a rather… distinguished vampire."

"So was Dracula…" muttered Heero as he tramped along the last in line. He was not looking for to meeting this 'distinguished' rival… and a vampire no less! Relena's finger went to the intercom on the gate. "Yes?"

"This is Relena Dorlian, is Mr. Townsend home?"

"Miss Dorlain? Mr. Townsend is always there for you if it is you who are calling on him." replied the half-laughing sound of the head servant. Heero raised an eyebrow. So she came here often? "But who are your friends?" asked the voice again. Obviously there were security cameras around them."

"Friends… they wanted to come with me."

"And with good reason," replied the voice rather wryly. Relena laughed as the gates swung open electronically, all on their own. They entered, the three men in the rear looked around rather suspiciously. It was exactly as they'd pictured a vampire's home, rather gloomy on the outside and the gardens were filled with roses. Red roses, blood-red roses, and black roses. _I never knew there were such things as black roses…_ thought Trowa, staring at them as he passed them by. "Beautiful aren't they?" asked Dorothy who'd fallen into stride beside him. "To you, I suppose." Dorothy raised an eyebrow. "What was that about me?" he could hear the dangerous tone in her voice and he knew better than to push it. "I was just thinking that you **would** like black roses."

"What are you talking about?"

He turned away from her. "Nothing." She looked enraged but she kept quiet and turned away from him, with a toss of her long blonde hair that floated into his face by the wind. The scent of scented shampoo filled his nostrils for a brief moment before her presence disappeared from beside him and his range of vision found her beside Relena up front again. "You did it again." stated Quatre dryly.

"What?"

"You've been so rude to her for the last few months… what the hell happened?" 

Both Heero and Trowa stared at this. Quatre? Cursing? "What… why would you care?" asked Trowa rather dumbfounded. The girls were already far ahead almost at the huge grand doors now so they doubted they could hear. 

"I simply think Miss Catalonia is a wonderful young woman and she does not deserve to be treated so badly by someone as crass as you." The platinum-blond boy retorted, effectively ending the conversation. _Man, I'd never thought Quatre had it in him_, thought Heero.

"Miss Relena! Such a pleasure to see you again!" A rather pale young woman had opened the door and the three of them that had lagged behind were briskly heading towards the two, three women. "Emmy! Long time no see!" returned Relena smiling and hugging the woman. "Come on in then! And your friends too!" she said, chattering along with Relena as she led the way through the grand frontal room. It was big, bright and white with a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was nothing inside what it looked like on the outside. They soon found themselves in a rather large sitting room, the walls of a velvety red paper. The lighting was rather dim, and heavy curtains and draperies covered the windows. Trowa got the shock of his life when a slim young woman with long wavy platinum-blonde hair (about the same as Dorothy's) turned around from a conversation with a rather handsome young man. Her big blue eyes looked rather annoyed and had a swiftly ugly expression on her face, before she spotted Trowa and she blinked with a sudden pure innocence like a little child.

"Ah, Relena darling, come sit, it's been a while since I have last seen you." Relena smiled and Heero recognized it as her 'political' smile. The man stood, and swept up towards her, and it was surprising to find this man dressed in a white button-down and khakis. He took her hand, pressing a soft butterfly kiss to the back of her hand. "You look even more beautiful than I remember, darling."

"Thank you, Adrian." She gestured to the others simply standing in front at the door. "These are my friends who came to visit with me."

"More guests! Well, more is the pleasure… Emmy, please bring in some tea. Please, Relena, sit with me." Relena sat down rather stiffly beside him and didn't say anything when his arm went around the back of the sofa just behind her shoulders. "So… what brings you to my humble abode?" he asked before taking another good look at her. "My goodness, don't tell me you were hurt in a fight?"

"Actually, I was… it was rather unpleasant."

"I should assume!" he looked genuinely concerned and Heero writhed in disguised protectiveness. Midii Une stayed silent. Sullenly it seemed. Trowa kept shooting glances at her, but she apparently didn't notice or she ignored him as she was watching Adrian check Relena's wounds. "Let's go in the next room and make that skin of yours as smooth as usual, shall we?" he asked gallantly. Relena smiled. "Thank you." He led her out through a separate door leaving the three ex-gundam pilots, one granddaughter of a famous war-loving maniac, and one ex-spy.

Finally, Midii seemed to notice Trowa's existence in the stratosphere. "Trowa… it took you a while to find out where I was." she looked rather displeased. For the first time ever, Quatre found him watching a rather nervous and shifty-eyed Trowa. "Trowa… you know Midii?" asked Dorothy eyeing her in distaste. She'd met the girl before on past… visits. She didn't like the look of innocence that surrounded that girl, how it showed through every movement of her thick lashes, the way she brushed a wave of hair the same color as her own behind her shoulder, her big blue eyes, her snowy complexion, and her big blue eyes. It didn't suit her… there was something wrong with her, and she still needed to figure out what it was. Now Trowa seemed to know this girl, and know her **well**. She hadn't slept with this guy for several years without knowing a thing or two about his personality.

"A long time acquaintance, Miss Catalonia. We were only children when we first met." She sent a knowing glance at the silent young man on the couch, who colored slightly and looked away. "Yeah." He finally agreed, rather slowly.

Dorothy raised her eyebrow with a sardonic look, "So he was a heart-throb all the way back then, I see…" she said softly, the Ice Queen melting and realization settling into its place on her face. So she was the reason he'd broken off with her when she'd been so sure he'd marry her. "I see…" she repeated rather dumbly. Trowa bit his lip not knowing exactly what to do. The tension mounted… Midii smiled. "So you're the girl Trowa was going out with… I must confess, he **is** noble… he wouldn't touch me at all when he was still going out with you." Insert knife and twist now in progress. The blonde with the straight hair kept her cool however. "Well then, you'll be happy to know he's not going out with me anymore, and he's free to touch you whenever he wants. He doesn't have to say no on my account." Then she lapsed into silence. Heero found the blonde leaning on his shoulder to his surprise and a hand gripping his arm in a tight grasp. She was crying, and she was too proud to let the other girl see.

"As cruel as ever, my bewitching little siren?" asked a rather cool voice from the door. Midii whirled to face her boss with sudden surprise. Neither he, nor the young girl beside him looked rather pleased. "M-Master Townsend!" she stammered losing all her coolness in a second. Adrian Townsend frowned, "Miss Une, I thought better of you than to make a mockery of any of my guests… especially a friend of Miss Relena's." Midii threw back her head haughtily, and the waves of platinum gold flew over her shoulder. "Miss Relena is a slut that uses your special abilities for her own uses to contrive ways to kill beings like yourself. I do not think it wise to have affections for a vampire slayer."

"That is **enough**," he said tightly, "I do not tolerate any one of my staff who will disobey me or any of my guests… if this behavior ensues, you will hereby be asked to leave." Midii Une would have made anyone normal shiver. "Very well then." She said smiling rather falsely at the tall man beside Relena. Adrian nodded curtly and turned back to Relena. "I know there is some truth in what she says… but I believe you have a board meeting to go to without being covered in those awful bruises." 

Relena smiled, "You know me too well. Work, work, work."

"Ah, the life of a politician… I know it well." He smiled grandly before ushering them all towards the door. "Midii, if you have concluded your sudden appearance as a prima donna, would you please escort them to the gates?"

"Of course, Mister Townsend." An insincere smile floated on her face, abolishing all past innocence. As soon as she was at the door, she opened it with all the appearance of respectfulness although the mocking smile she had on her face told a different story. As Trowa was the last to leave, she grabbed his hand. "I'm different from the little girl you knew, Nanashi," he winced mentally at the old name, "I have nothing to hold me back now. No family, no job important to me, and no more guilt." She smiled rather thinly, "I'm exactly like you. Trowa Barton." He shook his head, "Midii, you might be different… but I am too. And I do not like **anyone** beating up someone I care about, mentally or physically."

Midii laughed, before her thick lashes swept low on her cheeks, the lost innocence returning. "You'll never really care about anyone but me Trowa, you know it."

"Perhaps. I'll always care about you I know that. But that doesn't mean I'll do everything for you. And I won't let you insult Dorothy." He turned on his heel and walked briskly towards his other friends. And left Midii Une standing there, her mouth gaping, and a angry look in her eyes. "You'll pay for that one Nanashi. Trust me, you'll pay for that one."

~*~*~*~

End chapter. Less gory than the first, and a little more light-hearted. I know, I know, Relena's almost pulling a Lady Une… but things can make people change, and you people should very well know. Lena's got a couple bazillion things piled on her that we don't have. And **I** complain about my Science, Geography, French, and whatever other homework I have! Sheesh! Well you've read. Now **REVIEW**!!!! Please? Thank you. 

^-(| |)-^ 

I have decided to get myself a muse. Soon enough, if anyone's willing, come along for the ride when I go and write a fic about me and my two friends, Sexy^Å^ and Piggy^Å^! Along with myself, Koneko^Å^. (By the end of the naming, if you don't see a pattern, I'll smack you). J.K!


	3. NOT A CHAPTER! PLEASE READ ANYWAY!

****

NOT A CHAPTER!

Koneko-chan says!  


Very sorry people, I am not doing too well with the updating thing. Ideas keep coming, but I've got… um… *stops to count* nine fics to work on. I bit off more than I can chew, yes I realize that. But please be patient with me, I've got a lot on my shoulders from school, school, some more school, and everything else.

Thanks all, and wait up for the next chapter, I promise it won't be long!

The only fics that I've updated recently are: Against All Odds (Harry Potter) and Restoring the Crystal Re-edited (Sailor Moon/Dragonball Z/Escaflowne). The others will follow. I PROMISE.

Thanks all!


	4. A Strip Club, Two Female Politicians, Fi...

Title: Vampiric Sacrifice

Author: stefani teee a.k.a. Koneko ^Å^

© Tales Spinners Inc.

Koneko-chan says!

Hi again. Oh good, someone reviewed (the last time I checked… ;;;;;;;) and so did sexy^Å^… nothing from you Piggy though. But that's okay. So far, what do you think of this fic? I've got ideas, but they keep warping in my mind as the story goes. TrowaxDorothy? QuatrexDorothy? Help me please? Thank you! On with the fic. The guys (and the girls, no need to discriminate, both of them would bite my head of if I did) meet Midii and the meeting isn't a nice one. As well, the strip club chapter which everyone's looking for! Here it is! Guess what? I have **three** muses! (*shrugs* So I'm very greedy.) Let me introduce them!

*gorgeous purple velvet curtains open to a stage and the lights flare on. In the center, in the spotlight is the chibi, ultra kawaii chibi-Relena!*

Chibi-Relena: *smiles cutely* Hajinimashta!

Crowd: *in unison* Awwwww…

Stefani: *wearing a sparkling sequined gown like Vanna White* *poses* Ladies and gentlemen, our one and only Chibi-Relena!

Chibi-Relena: *smiles and waves some more*

Stefani: And next up… our own wonderful Heero-chan!

*drumroll*

*nothing happens*

Stefani: *clears throat pointedly*

*nothing happens*

Stefani: *abandons pose and stomps towards the wings of the stage, heads up the stairs where, of course, Heero is standing at the balcony watching Relena* *drags him down* *pulls him on the stage* *resumes pose*

Heero-chan: Omae o korosu. *clicks safety off gun*

Stefani: *glares*

Heero-chan: *glares back*

Stefani: *wishes she'd shoved her muse in a CHIBI Heero*

Chibi-Relena: *pouts* *glares* *snaps fingers* 

***POOF***

Chibi-Relena: *is now life-size Relena* *glares at Heero-chan* Heero… *warningly*

Heero-chan: *puts gun away and manages to still look empty-faced while Relena has her arm in his as she waves to the crowd*

Crowd: Awww! * crowd has no memory, never remembers one or more of them would be shot by one half of the adorable couple a few seconds ago*

Stefani: And now, last but not least, our own wonderful Nanashi!

*drumroll*

Nanashi: *walks out* …

Stefani: *sweatdrops* Er… okay, well uh, LET'S GIVE A HAND TO MY WONDERFUL MUSES!!!!!!!!

Crowd: …

Someone In The Back: SHOW US HOW GOOD THEY ARE!!

Relena: *grabs Heero-chan's gun* *shoots jellybeans at SITB* *calmly hands it back*

Stefani: …

Stefani: ON WITH THE SHOW!
    
    And continuing on…

****

Chapter Three: A Strip Club, Two Female Politicians, Five Overprotective Armed Men, and Two Evil Bloodsuckers (a.k.a. A Visit to Hell)

"Bitch."

This was the first word that came out of Relena's mouth the second they were out of hearing distance of any security cameras hidden in the estate. Heero looked at Relena is silent surprise. Relena? Cursing? The thought just wouldn't compute even though Duo had informed him earlier just how bad a girl she'd been when hunting for Rosalyn and that Jacey. "You mean Blondie back there? Or me?"

"I'll give you one guess Dor."

"Thank you." Dorothy remained silent throughout the car ride and Relena opted for her friend to drive… hesitantly that is. Dorothy loved driving, but quite the speed demon and Relena made sure that Dorothy understood that friend or no friend she'd sue the hell out of her if she dared scratch 'her baby' as she called it. Dorothy rolled her eyes, "If only you were a guy Rel… I would've simply said something about guys and their cars… you are a completely different case study."

"I'm just warning you… one scratch—"

"Relax, your car is safe with me… and thank **god** you got a new one too." Relena blinked, "Huh?" Dorothy pointed to the guys in the backseat, "None of them have seen your car for the last few years… and I think they were expecting a pink limo…"

"Shut up about that thing! So sue me if my mother thought it proper for a young girl to be as feminine as proper… and I didn't have the heart to say no."

"I was walking around in combat boots when you were trussed up in crinoline and lace, little girl."

"Don't I know it." Relena agreed before her speech was cut off. Dorothy had started that car and they were off.

Finally, the guys realized that Relena hadn't been kidding. Dorothy **was** a speed demon and it was nearly impossible how fast they got their seatbelts on as Dorothy lurched around a corner, barely missing a red traffic sign.

"That was a **stop** sign!" yelled Relena over the wind coming in from the open windows of her black BMW.

"I paused and you know it!" yelled back the blonde, having the time of her life, momentarily forgetting all the heartbreak from the person directly behind her. And she never noticing how he closed his eyes as her long hair blew backwards into his face, along with the smell of her shampoo. Heero, who never really minded speed (he rather preferred it) found Quatre looking just about as excited as Dorothy. His big blue eyes were even bigger as he watched everything outside whiz past the window with a blur. Heero raised an eyebrow, "You're as crazy as the girl in the driver's seat." He stated simply and Quatre turned away from the window to laugh. "When you live a life with everyone looking up to you, you can't decide anything on your own anymore… it's been a while since I did anything like this… staying below the speed limit and obeying traffic rules of course." This he added as Dorothy raced through a red light. "I **SAID** I PAUSED!" could be heard through the howling wind through the windows. Anyone ever went on a highway with your windows open? Try hearing yourself talk, much less the person up front. This proves how strong Dorothy's vocal chords are.

Finally, the abrupt pause left them all choking on their seatbelts as they were wrenched forward. As they flew back against the seat, Dorothy grinned, shaking the stray strands of hair that had escaped her headband, triumphantly. "You're right, that **did** make me feel better!" she announced, smiling before noticing Relena sitting there staring at the Peacecraft manor. "Rel?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah… I just think… I just had this sudden thought that…" she shook her head as if clearing her thoughts, "never mind, it doesn't matter… not yet anyway." She got out of the car, checking for any visible scratches on her car. "You're lucky this time Catalonia!"

"I told you I was a good driver!"

"That was a bit of an overstatement," commented Relena dryly as she shook her hair into some semblance of order. "Quickly, we've got to get back in, let me change, and if you're willing, head off to the briefing." Then she blinked and turned to the backseat, bending down to look in the window. "Uh, don't worry… the car has stopped. You can take off your seatbelts now." She informed the three boys, wondering at how they could be perfectly fine with flying gundams in space faster than they had just gone and still be frozen stiff. _Men,_ she decided.

"I wasn't scared." replied Quatre archly and Relena grinned. "I think you rather enjoyed that actually." The blond Arabia grinned, "I should think you'd enjoy it too… you spend more time in office than myself."

"Sure, but remember that this is **my** car… and I happen to like my car in one piece, thank you very much."

"I see…"

Relena led the way to the gate—she didn't often park in the garage… she liked having her car parked outside, it was less of a hassle when it came to the gates. As soon as they were in, Relena went for her room, in order to begin the almost daily metamorphosis from Relena Dorlian, normal (relatively speaking of course) blonde girl out with her friends… To Relena Peacecraft (however much she tried to drop the name like her brother had tried to) the one person who kept the Colonies and Earth from beating the crap out of each other again. 

She stepped out, her long hair pulled back severely into a ponytail by the normal blue ribbon, and her pale pink (she was beginning to be tired of the color…) business suit. There she was the girl who was awed by millions upon millions. She walked out to find pandemonium. Dorothy had lost it completely (she was pretty sure she knew why… another girl with the same color blonde hair was present, along with the green-eyed clown) and was chasing after both Trowa and Midii with a frying pan snatched from a frightened maid who was playing 'innocent bystander' perfectly. "SAY THAT AGAIN YOU BITCH!!!! SAY THAT TO MY FACE AND STOP RUNNING LIKE THE COWARD YOU ARE!" Dorothy was yelling at the girl just a few paces in front of her, a mocking smile that seemed permanently attached to her face. Heero and Quatre were staying well away from the rampaging War Goddess (after Heero had been smacked in the side of the head with the frying pan while getting in the way). At the moment, they were taking refuge on the kitchen table.

"Looks like the political world doesn't need exercise anymore… what's wrong, can't even catch Nanashi's lover?"

"Midii, please keep me out of this—"

"Aww, come on Nanashi, you're not going to even save me from your rampaging ex-girlfriend?"

"You're perfect competent to enter this catfight on your own."

"IT'S GONNA BE A THREE-WOMAN CATFIGHT IF YOU DON'T ALL **STOP**!" yelled Relena finally, stopping the destruction to her kitchen. She looked well out of place in a business suit when she looked like a soldier in some old war movie. If they hadn't known her so well, she looked almost ready to throw a grenade in their faces, and they would've bowed down before the terrible Godzilla-Relena.

Midii shook back her wavy hair. "I came here to find Trowa, and that's it. I did not expect to be assaulted by his jealous, crude and sweaty ex-girlfriend wielding a frying pan." Now **Dorothy** looked like the one ready to spit fire. "What did you say?" she asked in a low, dangerous tone, masked by her naturally light voice.

"Despite how much you must want to assault **him**, you would do very well to remember that you are no longer on Mr. Townsend's property, you are on mine. Now please, Marie will you escort this young lady to the gates?"

"Yes Ma'am." The maid (who'd previously been cowering under the table) brushed off her skirt and with a slight look of distaste, led the other girl out of the room. Relena looked at her, then back at Trowa. "And you chose **that** spitfire over Dorothy?" Trowa shrugged, silence ruling the room again. Relena threw up her hands in a final gesture of "I give UP!" Trowa said nothing. Mentally however, he was knocking himself on the head and wondering why he couldn't damn well **choose**!

"Well… she's gone now. And I'd better get to that briefing… Dorothy, you have to come too, remember?" Dorothy blinked before gasping, bringing a hand to her open mouth. "Shit I forgot!" she swore, racing for Relena's bedroom where her duffel bag held **her** political uniform. She appeared, moments later looking more harried than they'd ever seen her. "Miss Relena, why didn't you tell me earlier?!" she seemed to have reverted back into her old high school way of speaking to Relena… respectably in a rather mocking way. Relena shrugged, "I forgot." She said matter-of-factly. All movement ceased in the room. Dorothy stared blatantly at the blonde-haired leader of ESUN. "Excuse me… **what**?!" she asked, wondering if she'd heard correctly. **When** had she ever heard those words uttered out of perfect little Princess Peacecraft's mouth?

"I told you. I forgot… you were the one who was supposed to remember, not me." Dorothy grumbled something under her breath before straightening out the dark golden-brown political suit (similar to Relena's), and her hairbrush had tamed her hair (after picking out the long strands of Duo's hair still stuck in it). She was clenching a several sheaves of crumpled papers, probably notes. "Okay, I'm ready." she grumbled, berating herself for not remembering… thank **god** she'd brought her suit and her notes last night. Then they were headed outside again. She perked up. "Can I drive?"

"No. I think the pigeons have had enough scares in this town for a long while."

"You know I always honk the horn for them."

"And that doesn't scare them?"

"If you, Miss Relena **dare** to begin a debate about the emotions of pigeons, I really will have to smack you." They were at her car now, and still arguing, the three guys, two out the three prone to silence, stayed silent.

"Then you admit pigeons have emotions?" teased Relena mercilessly as she went for the driver's seat, despite Dorothy's pouting. She had had enough law-breaking today… and seeing the two young politicians arrive while breaking more than twenty traffic rules would **not** help when she made her opening speech.

The remaining male ex-gundam boys were rather relieved that a more **responsible** driver was at the wheel. As soon as they had buckled up the confounded seatbelts, Relena jammed in the key, and slammed her dainty high-heeled foot on the acceleration. Needless to say, they were off like a shot again… somewhere around the speed of sound. But as soon as they neared the political building, they slowed down immeasurably and Dorothy ripped a brush out of her bag and brushing her hair thoroughly… it was quite a mess. Relena was busy straightening her clothing with one hand while steering with the other and thanking god there were such things as tinted windows in this wonderful day and age.

Then, she grabbed the brush from Dorothy's hand, and undoing the ribbon, began brushing her hair again, until it lay straight down her back. Inwardly, she wondered what had possessed her to let it grow to this length… oh wait, it was because Heero liked it long, wasn't it? She sighed as she wondered how much like a sheep following a shepherd she was. Tying it back, she took a deep breath and her 'political mode' was back on. She parked carefully, and got out of the car, trying as much as possible to ignore the wave of reporters and cameramen that swarmed her and Dorothy as soon as the doors opened. When the backseat opened, the commotion grew even louder… no one had expected ex-gundam soldiers to come to as simple a thing as a briefing. They were instantly swamped with questions. The more silent ones stayed silent and ignored everyone (even as several female newscasters literally swooned in their arms) while Quatre attempted to drag the others to Dorothy and Relena (also wading through the swarms of people).

"I now remember why I disliked these types of political meetings… the press on Earth is so much more aggressive." commented Quatre as they finally got their way out of the crowd and into the building. The thin glass doors acted like a boundary between them and the maniacal crowd, as well as the several million-bazillion soldiers guarding the doors that made Relena rather nervous.

Finally, she and Dorothy had to leave the three of them in order to enter the meeting room, where bodyguards weren't allowed in. The three of them blinked as Relena tried to protest, but the guards were adamant, they could not enter. The more kindly blonde looked back rather apologetically and started to speak when Quatre broke in gently, "It's all right, Relena, we'll be fine." Relena smiled, before following Dorothy into the room, and the door shut behind them.

Heero felt rather uncomfortable, in a political building without a weapon on his person. This feeling was quite bothersome, a leftover something from all the wars. They took stationary positions by the doors, ignoring the chairs, and ignoring the guard already posted at the door, watching them confusedly. Time passed, and the three of them found themselves wondering why on Earth they hadn't left with Duo and Wufei.

"Trowa?" asked a voice, and all of them turned, almost waiting to see the icy blonde that Trowa was enamored with. It wasn't, and they were shocked at who they found.

It was Cathrine. Trowa's sister. She blinked as every single one of them stared at her. "What is it?" she asked rather confused at their stares. Trowa relaxed, "Nothing Cath… why are you here?" it was nearly impossible for any civilian to get into the political building… hold on a minute… why the hell was wearing a Preventers uniform?!

"CATHY?!" she looked down. Previously, a well-placed chest of some sort had hid her, but now, as moving people or some of the sort moved it away, nothing hid her obvious jacket. "Um…" she looked rather nervous as her younger brother stood with his exclamation. "Oops?" 

"That's just a costume right? You're just trying to trick me, right?" asked Trowa, and she was amazed that he could say almost **blandly** and still seem shocked. Not to mention rather silly. "Why would I dress up as a Preventer?" she demanded, setting down her backpack that she'd been carrying over one shoulder. "And another thing… what are you doing here?" she suddenly looked protective all over again. "You never came back last night! I was sick with worry over where you'd gone! Preventers HQ told me you checked in, and then checked back out after an hour or so! Where **were** you?!"

Trowa looked rather abashed in front of the others, but in actuality, Heero almost envied his family, if only it was his sister, and Quatre knew quite well what he was going through. No mention of his sisters is needed as all reading this have promptly brought them to mind. Cathrine sighed, as she sat down beside Trowa, bringing an arm around his neck in a sisterly fashion. "So where were you last night?" she asked softly, anger gone now. Trowa shrugged, "Reminiscing." Cathy rolled her eyes before turning her eyes to Heero and Quatre, pleading now, "Will you two tell me if you know?"

"We were at Relena's mansion."

"I see… Cathy blinked, "No I don't see, she and Dorothy shouldn't have been at her house last night, they should've been out hunting!"

"How do you know about all this?!" Cathrine laughed at Trowa's ignorance, "You guys mostly handle all the big, bad, out-in-the-open military stuff. We handle the subtle vampire killing business."

"Subtle? Vermin killing? You've got a strange idea of subtle, Cath." Cathrine paused as an arm slid over her shoulders and she visibly tensed, but stayed polite all the way. "Hello, Michael."

Trowa noticed the disguised uncomfortable look on his older sister's face and he gave the guy a once over. He was dressed in Preventer uniform as well, and he vaguely recognized him from orientation of some of the newer recruits a few days ago. Cathrine waved a hand at the guy as she shrugged his arm off her shoulders. "Guys, Michael, Michael, Heero, Quatre, and my little brother Trowa."

"Whoa… you mean the guys that kicked ass in the Eve wars don't you?" the guy looked more than respectful now, and perhaps a little nervous when Trowa, again gave him the once over. Who was he to act so chummy with his sister like that? Cathrine sighed, "Yes, yes they are." She above anyone else (being blood-related to one of them) knew how much they hated being reminded of this everywhere they turn.

"Wow, hey did you really—hey!" Cathrine cast him a sickly-sweet smile and continued pushing against him out of the hallway, her slender, lithe form hiding the muscle she had as she bodily shoved the much heavier man away from the guys. "We've got work to do Mike ol' pal. Or at least **you've** got work to do. I'll escort you in case you are distracted by the orientation of the new female recruits."

"You don't trust me?"

"Not when it concerns a girl and your testosterone young man." She sounded exactly like when she was lecturing Trowa. Quatre smiled at the slight humor of it all. Because just like when she lectured Trowa, she could intimidate any grown man. It was rather ridiculous to see the six foot something guy cower before the woman that came up hardly to his chest!

Cathrine winked at them before proceeding to drag him along, gesturing to the backpack she'd so unceremoniously dumped on her brother's lap. Trowa glanced at it as his sister's red-brown hair disappeared out of sight. "What the hell?" he opened the rather well worn army green backpack, and peered inside. Right on top were several sandwiches, wrapped in cellophane. Taped onto the one, was a note. 'Trowa, you are your friends are the worst ever. Remember to eat once in a while okay? I don't need your liver floating in alcohol.' He shrugged, ripped the note off and shoved it back in the bag with whatever else was in it. He then handed two of them to the other guys. They had never noticed, time had progressed so that they were well past lunch.

Eating in silence, they continued to wait, silent, having nothing really to talk about. At least not in public, they would have otherwise broken into a conversation about why all the females they knew were becoming part of Preventers.

~*~*~*~

"Gabe? Where're you going? Don't you want to play with me?"

Gabe turned back, "I don't think I want to play anymore…" The little girl pouted, before realizing what he wanted to do. "Oh… you want to see your daddy right?" 

He nodded. She shrugged, "Okay… well, maybe some other time then?" she asked hopefully. "Sure." He replied, turning towards 'the door'. Not many people walked through that door, and if they did, most of **those** people stayed near the door, never venturing that far in. This was the room in which Milliardo Peacecraft slept in a deathlike slumber. The little boy stepped in softly, as if he were deathly afraid of waking his dad, when really, all he wanted was to wake him up. "Daddy? Hey, Dad, I'm back again." He bit his lip when he looked again at all the tubes and wires and machines hooked up to him, and he clambered up onto the high hospital bed, careful not to rip any of the tubes out. The nurse would come running and scold him horribly if he did. He snuggled under the limp arm of his father and against him. 

"Daddy? Auntie Lena went out to fight again last night… but they came to our house first. She killed lots of them. And they were so scary, two of them looked like girls. But they scared me, and Auntie Lena made them run away. We had to go to Preventers because she got hurt." He paused… did he suddenly feel his dad's arm tighten around him? He continued breathlessly, "We went there and all these doctor people came and took her 'way." he frowned, "They weren't nice doctor people like Auntie Sally was. She went to go back to school. They were all mean and didn't let me say anything. I had to sit still for a long, long time."

He looked at his father's face. Still impassive. "And then Auntie Relena brought me home… she told me to stay safe. It's hard to stay safe now, right? Vampires breaking in… I wish you would wake up Daddy, Auntie Relena is sad all the time, especially with all those mean people at the ESUN, there are too many meetings and stuff she needs to do. She doesn't want me to know though… why Daddy?"

His father did not answer, and the monitor continued beeping steadily in its unnerving way. "Last night Auntie Lena left to find more vampires, she said it was because she was ordered to. She got hurt again, and she had to go back to those mean doctors. She came back with some big people. They were really tall. One of them was funny. He had long hair… he looked like a girl." Milliardo's eyelids flickered and Gabe lay bolt upright. "Daddy?"

But that was it. He didn't do anything else, much less wake up. Gabe sighed, and continued talking. "Then they all stayed in Auntie Relena's bedroom… and watched a movie. I stayed with Shelley 'cause Mrs. Petri said Auntie Lena and the guys needed to talk and stuff and I shouldn't bother them. Why would I bother them, Daddy?" Again, no answer.

"Anyway, they all were sick in the morning. Lots of water and asp'rin. And anta-somethings." This time Milliardo jerked, and his eyelids snapped tightly shut. Gabe stared, hoping against hope. Would his daddy wake up? "And then Shelley heard something about Dorothy and one of the guys… I think the guy with the hair covering his eyes… how does he do that?"

A mumble. Gabe's eyes widened. "Daddy? What did you say?" At long last, Milliardo Peacecraft's eyes opened and stared blearily at his son. "I said 'nobody knows'."

"DADDY!" Gabe flung his arms around his dad (or as much as he could in the cramped position) and had to keep himself from crying. "You're back!"

"Gabe?" asked his dad unsteadily and Gabe looked up at his father's face. "Where's Lena?"

"She's… she's at a meeting." 

Milliardo nodded slowly, clearing his vision, wincing as he felt the light from the window shining directly into his eyes. "Should we surprise her then?" Gabe looked worried, "But… you just woke up!"

"I'm a soldier Gabe… I'm tough enough to stand on my own two feet." Gabe smiled and hugged his dad even tighter before smacking a button on the side of the bed. "NURSE! DADDY'S AWAKE!" he yelled joyously. There was a sound of pattering of feet, and the slam of the door as it burst open revealed the rumpled nurse. "Gabriel Peacecraft! I told you too many times to count, don't yell when you're dad's in a—" she stopped short, amazed. "Mister—oh my goodness, Mr. Peacecraft you're awake!" Gabe smiled, nodding his head vigorously. "We're gonna see Auntie Lena!"

The nurse's voice became brisk, "Oh no you're not little child. You're father needs rest, and that does not include taking you to god-knows-where right after this miracle… Mr. Peacecraft, please lie back down." Instead, the man calmly began ripping out all the tubes and lay them beside the oxygen mask he'd already discarded. "We're going." He told the nurse firmly, pulling himself in a sitting position and picking up Gabriel, stood up and walked to the door, perhaps a little unsteadily, but he did. And the nurse was amazed… everyone had thought that Milliardo Peacecraft could never wake up from his coma… and they'd thought Relena Peacecraft insane when she refused to unhook him. "If there's a chance that he'll wake up, he'll take it." she had said firmly. The Peacecraft's were miracles in themselves.

A scream echoed down the halls as the two of them appeared, and the clattering of silverware bounced on the floor. "Mister Milliardo! You're awake!" The young girl looked down at the spilled silverware and blushed deep red, "M-my apologies…"

"Don't worry about it. Where is Relena's meeting held?"

"A-at the…" she couldn't speak, "At the usual place, the main business ESUN building in this city." finished the voice of Mrs. Petri from down the hall. The old woman's were filled with tears as she looked up at the man that stood firmly in front of her. Like Pagen, she had been with the family for years, and had escaped when the Peacecraft palace had been attacked. She'd returned as soon as the family had regained the Sanq Kingdom. Milliardo looked down at the old hobbling woman with a small smile, "Then that's where Gabe and I are going." He told her, in that voice that bridged no arguments. And they walked off, father and son, hair blowing back of the same exact sheen.

The glass doors slid open smoothly, and the two of them walked in, Gabe holding steadfastly to his father's hand, a little intimidated by all the blatant stares at the man who was rumored to never be awakened again. Milliardo, dressed in his Preventer uniform again, gave him a firm stare, and Gabe straightened, walking with more confidence. He was with his dad after all. No one was better than him. "Mr. Milliardo!" gasped a young woman decked out in Preventer garb. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place her. "And you are?"

"Cathrine Bloom, sir. Trowa Barton's older sister?" she figured he'd know about him at the least. He nodded, "I see…"

"Yo Cathy, who's this guy, huh?" asked some guy behind her, giving him a once over. Cathrine slammed her elbow in his side, "SHUT UP!" she hissed venomously at him, "He's Milliardo Peacecraft you dork!"

The guy was struck dumb. "Oh." was about all he could manage as Milliardo and his son swept past him. Cathy winked at Gabe as they passed her. He grinned back at her. _My dad's back!_ His hand tightened in his dad's bigger one as he looked up proudly at his father. Milliardo looked down, giving him a smile. "Do you think Relena will be surprised?"

"Auntie Lena always **knew** you were going to wake up! But she'll be surprised! And she'll be happy again!"

"I should hope so…" he trailed off when he noted the guards standing at the doorway. Now, normally this wouldn't have been a problem, had he not recognized three of them. And recognized them **well**. 

"Zechs." Milliardo felt the wry grin appear on his face. 01 was never one to mince words… although he himself hated to think of himself as that side of his nature any more… the wars were over, he could be Milliardo Peacecraft with all his heart.

"Heero."

"That's him, Daddy!" yelled Gabriel excitedly, almost jumping up and down, but restraining himself just enough to be rocking back and forth on his heels. "He's one of the guys who needed all those asp'rins!"

Quatre bit his lip, and Trowa half-turned away… Heero didn't answer. He just continued to watch Milliardo Peacecraft. The man didn't need to know anything about what had happened the other night… he had no wish to fight him only a block of wood away from Relena… she would be sad if he should even try it.

"And **why** would he be depleting our medicine cabinets of aspirin, I wonder?"

"…"

Sighing, the older man made a huge effort to change the subject. He sat down on one of the orange plastic waiting chairs that looked like they'd been borrowed from some old elementary school. He gritted his teeth together as he finally loosened himself after all the weeks of doing nothing but lie there unconscious on the bed. Gabe immediately climbed up onto his lap and lay back on his chest.

__

What the hell happened? That guy wasn't supposed to ever wake up! Heero's mind was reeling, _What happened? Why is Zechs up and about like before already?_ _Why—_

"SHE ALREADY TOLD YOU **NO** YOU IDIOT! GET THAT IN YOUR PUNY HEAD!" the huge doors slammed open and the original guard got smacked in the face by one of them. He blinked, holding his nose to keep the blood from coming down and cautiously looked around the doors. Duchess Catalonia was standing above some guy on the ground. He could see the Vice Foreign Minister still sitting at the table, her customary cup of tea cracked straight through, as if she'd slammed it down quick enough and hard enough for it to break in her hand. She had a veiled look of anger on her face.

The other politicians, though a little shocked were on the two girls' sides. "My dear sir, you must know, threatening the Vice Foreign Minister is not a way to get what you want… though the duchess's way of dealing with you is not as civilized as I might have thought, I must say you deserve it."

Heero's 'Perfect Soldier' computer kicked in. _Threatened?_

But Relena was no longer looking at the man sprawled on the floor. For that matter, neither was Dorothy. Both of them were staring wide-eyed at Milliardo Peacecraft, directly in the door's field of view. "Mr. Milliardo!" gasped Dorothy, her pale blue eye wide. Trowa found himself feeling a tinge of jealousy at the flash of attraction he recognized in her eyes. She'd always had a thing for the older man.

"Brother?" Relena's quiet voice was full of amazement and she stared at her brother like he was a ghost that might simply vanish if she tried to touch him. "Relena…" None present could believe she could change faces so quickly… one moment ago, she'd been literally ready to rip that blasted man to pieces, and then the next… Her face had broken into a huge sunny smile as she ran past the fallen man to her brother, crushing Gabe as she hugged him around the neck. "Oh… I knew you'd wake up…" she buried her head into the hollow between his shoulder and his chest. He silently held her for a moment before she gathered herself up, facing the congregation again. "Let us discuss the issue at hand some other time shall we?"

The entire thing was wrapped up in five seconds and the room was emptied of the excess politicians and their bodyguards. Milliardo found himself staring at his sister, and at his son. How much had happened since he'd been in a coma? It had been months he supposed. And Noin? His thoughts turned dark… Noin was dead. He'd watched her die right in front of him, being almost ripped apart by those **monsters**. He could feel the ever-present hatred stirring again inside him as he thought of his wife's shining eyes, her ability to be blunt and still be alluring, how she'd always stood by him… He shook his head. She was gone… all he could do was take revenge for her death. He'd **murder** those two vampiresses that had killed her, if Relena hadn't already done so for him already. Lucrezia. _I miss you,_ he thought despite his determination not to mourn. He would love her forever and he knew that… but he'd spent enough of his life feeling sorry for all the injustices in the world. With his sister's guidance, the world was on a fast track to complete peace. 

Relena… was she still hunting vampires? Before 'that night' he'd been completely against it. He wanted nothing more than keeping his little sister safe from those demons. But it had done nothing. He had not been enough to protect the mansion when they'd attacked. He'd had enough trouble protecting Gabe and himself, and Noin… she had been swamped. She had been torn apart while she was still alive. They had ripped her beating heart from her chest and wrestled for it. The one who'd won it had crushed it between her fangs, drinking while the others attacked Noin's body… he shuddered.

"Brother? It's time to go…"

"Are you still working in the Preventers as a Demon-Hunter?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a… mission tonight?" 

"Actually…" Dorothy was about to answer for her, but Relena inconspicuously shoved her elbow in her friends ribs, giving her a pointed look. She knew better than anyone what her brother would do if the truth got out about what was going to happen that night.

"Er… Miss Relena and I were going to have to settle with the paperwork tonight…" it was lame, but it was more believable than all the half-imagined scenes Relena had going through her head. The other three didn't help at all. They stayed as silent as stones. Milliardo nodded. "Good." Dorothy rubbed her side, glaring her wondrously cold glare at the innocent-looking Relena through her ice blue eyes.

Gabe looked at Relena confusedly, "But Auntie Lena I thought you—GLOUP!" because at this point, Relena had pulled a Chupa Chupe, from her pocket, ripped off the wrapper and shoved it in his mouth. "—had to go over to Dorothy's to do it? Yes actually, I did."

Milliardo's eyes narrowed, but at the moment, he was a little too drained to say much. Waking up after several months and then continuing on with normal activity was more than a normal man could handle. He was above average as it was.

"So, uh, let's go! We can have lunch together!" Relena cajoled tugging on her brother's arm and almost dragging him along toward the glass doors. Dorothy shrugged, taking Gabe's hand and taking a deep breath, took on the role as Duchess Catalonia very, very realistically. As soon as they passed through the doors, a cool look, and a multitude of pretty words flowed out of her mouth as the other three, playing the role of bodyguard to a T followed behind, without a need to say a word. 

It was later that evening, when Milliardo and Gabe were back at home, did Relena and Dorothy carefully sneak the 'costumes' out and to Dorothy's mansion. The three ex-Gundam pilots had suffered through the day quietly, not enjoying the mass attention from the general population (perhaps with the exception of Quatre, who was used to being stuck in the spotlight) finally met up with Duo and Wufei at Dorothy's, amazing the girl's on how they knew. They never noticed Trowa slipping the cell phone back to Quatre behind their backs.

"Hey little Missy, let's see how sexy you can be!" Duo was annoyingly looking forward to Relena 'dressing down' and seeing the normally uptight princess play the role of a strip-tease artist. Same with Dorothy, on a different level.

"Duo, if you don't shut up, you're going to get your ass kicked." This shut up the braided boy quickly as the two blondes disappeared into Dorothy's bedroom, leaving the others to muse mindlessly (or… not) about how'd they'd look like. Duo offered to set up bets, but the offer was denied.

Finally, after an hour or so of waiting, the door opened. The five men, as nervous as if in a maternity ward waiting room, looked up simultaneously. Trowa felt his heart leap to his throat as Dorothy appeared dressed in a casino bunny costume, fishnet hose and all. The black spiked pumps heightened her until the top of her head was about level with Trowa's eyes. He swore the hallway's temperature had gone up a few hundred degrees. He was tongue-tied, but it didn't matter because he was well known to be silent. Always. For once he was thankful his reputation preceded him. For one thing, the black fabric, tight black leather in fact, hugged her body in places that he dared say they shouldn't. What looked like fishnet stockings (which looked amazingly **good** on her) covered her long legs, or at least looked like they were supposed to, originally. The desired effect was that they were just a ploy. The bunny rabbit ears that came from her black headband (which she hardly ever went without) matched the white puffball of a tail. That little blob of white made all eyes (whether they wanted to or not) turn to stare at it, and at (in Duo's words) Dorothy's **fine** ass.

"Should I be a dancer or a waitress?" she quipped, looking askance at them. When they didn't respond, she shrugged, "Waitress it is."

Duo finally got his voice back, "**Damn** you **fine**!"

Dorothy awarded him with a wry smile, "Thanks… I think…" Then, a thought suddenly sprang into her mind and she lunged for Heero, caught off-guard, and only just managed to dodge her, making her land on her feet behind him, grasping him by the arms and literally, holding him back in his chair. _Apparently, Trowa's old acrobat lessons had paid off_, she thought as she kept him from struggling. "Got rope?" she asked between clenched teeth as she held him with all her might and main until Duo came to help her out, figuring out what was going to happen.

"What the hell are you doing?!" ground out Heero as he struggled against the two of them, the others merely watching the interesting spectacle… until Relena walked out. Then all eyes turned, and Heero simply froze into a likeness of stone as he stared. Relena came out wearing just about enough shiny red leather to (if together) would make about a small miniskirt. As it was, if Milliardo had been there, he would have had a heart attack and probably fallen into another coma. There was really no reason to go into detail, because it left Relena looking almost half-dressed… and she still managed to pull it off with the word "alluring" still intact and the word "slutty" not even in sight, despite the outfit which, by itself certainly would have **screamed** the word.

Dorothy was right in restraining Heero because, once the paralysis of shock was overcome, he looked ready to spit fire as he struggled against them with all his might and main while Relena shifted uncomfortably in the red leather… thing, incidentally showing even more skin than she needed to. And it drove Heero Yuy almost to the brink of insanity as he thought even dressing up Duo would've been better than seeing Relena in clothes that would drive not only him, but any red-blooded man insane with desire. It was only when Dorothy dumped a glassful of alcohol down his throat did he manage to calm down enough. Relena smiled rather wryly, "Damn, I need a collar and leash for you."

Dorothy perked up, "Spiked?"

"Definitely." Relena replied airily as Heero grimaced and backed away slowly and carefully, so as not to seem afraid. She grinned again, "Quit running Yuy, it's the truth, you guys have to change."

"Why?" protested Quatre, completely at home in his own clothes. Custom-tailored and perfectly neat as it was.

"Because, you all just **scream** 'I'm a cop, I've got a gun!'" she replied matter-of-factly as she began ushering them into one of Dorothy's many rooms. "You've got guys' clothes in here, right?"

"Plenty."

"Uh… why?" asked Duo, knowing full well she lived alone, except for her own servants.

"They're for my personal harem," she deadpanned before answering seriously, "They're mostly Trowa's."

Trowa stopped short and gaped, literally at his ex-girlfriend. "What?!"

"You heard me. You never dropped by to pick up the stuff, and I never saw much of you for a while so I couldn't offer them back." 

For a moment, she looked almost vulnerable as she readjusted the bunny ears on her headband, "They're yours, and a few things of… other guys who cared even less than you did about me." Then she was all icy and prickly again as she strode into the room, gathering the things that Trowa recognized as his own.

Only then did a com-link suddenly flash on the screen. Relena, grasping a shirt and slipping it on to cover most of what she was wearing sped towards calling to Dorothy, "I'll get it!"

As soon as she turned it on however, she immediately regretted it. There was Hilde and Sally, looking rather enraged. "Let me get this straight… you're taking **our** boyfriends and bringing them to a strip joint?!" asked Hilde, glaring.

"Er… how did you learn that?"

"We work at the same place you do," replied Sally rather pointedly.

"Well, they asked to come and frankly, I figured we could use a few extra hands when it came to finding those two troublemakers."

"Relena, you realize that this is **Duo** you're talking about. He, being the wonderful, carefree, but sex-obsessed guy he is and a strip joint are **not** two things I want to put together!"

Relena buckled beneath Hilde's intimidating glare meekly and said rather slowly, "Hilde-girl, the guy loves you. No way he's gonna do **anything** with anyone else, I'll see to that."

"Same with Wufei, you hear?" demanded Sally, eyes looking for anything suspicious.

"Do you **really** need to worry about **that** prude?" asked Relena, raising an eyebrow and laughing at the image it conjured in her head of Wufei **ever** doing something without thinking out the honor in doing such things thereof. Sally allowed a small smile, "I'll give you that one," she said grudgingly.

Relena had it in the bag, "Don't worry! Your guys are safe."

Hilde frowned one last time, "If I find out anything different…!" she cut the connection leaving the threat open. Relena smiled, "Being a politician has its perks, few as they may be." With that, she turned and continued dressing herself. She still looked too much like Relena Peacecraft Dorlian to be comfortable. Thank goodness for new technology! The thin red choker she wore around her neck safely hid the computer chip that warped her voice and changed it completely. Armed with colored contacts, she appeared in the guys' 'dressing room' a violet-eyed brunette.

All turned to stare at the girl in the men's shirt (she was still wearing). Dorothy grinned, "So you put your time away from these guys to good use! Glad to see!"

"It'll be your turn soon enough," replied Relena, her voice full and throaty, completely different from her usual. She tapped the choker, "Great technology these days wouldn't you say so?" Dorothy nodded, pulling out her own. Black, it had a little golden charm in the center, a small teardrop. "I almost forgot, you **do** think of everything Miss Relena!" she pulled the thing on, after pressing a few infinitesimal buttons on it with the point of a pin. When she put it on, her voice took on a British accent, disguising her own completely. She then proceeded to enter the bathroom, leaving the rest of dressing up the ex-gundam pilots to Relena. She reappeared looking stunning with long raven hair even longer than it was naturally, and green eyes that so rivaled Trowa's that it seemed impossible that they could be fake.

She posed in the doorway, like a fashion model might on the runway. She didn't flaunt anything however, she made a mockery of those models as Relena whistled loudly, before bursting out laughing. "We'd better hurry." Frowning at Quatre, Dorothy unbuttoned the first few buttons on his white button-down shirt and smiled. "Better. You look much sexier." And so he did, Quatre, despite being so adorable, had always had that **look** about him. Perhaps it came from being a gundam pilot… it seemed the trait carried to the others as well. Relena disposed of the shirt and pulled on a black overcoat that went to her knees tying it round her waist securely as Dorothy found a dark blue duster for herself. Soon enough, they were off and took one of Dorothy's 'I-only-keep-it-because-it-might-come-in-handy-someday' cars. It was perfect for the 'undercover' look as they headed off for downtown.

Incidentally, a huge lumbering figure watched them go from the bushes, dried blood matting its long dirty fur and clawed hands gripping at the dirt beneath them, flexing and relaxing in turn. "Care—ful… you. Trouble. Rozlin. Tonight." It rumbled softly, the human words coming out foreign and strange on its tongue. It lumbered away into the distance, and into the darkness. It had other people to watch and look for.

They stopped finally in front of a rather dirty building with flashing neon lights, and a blinking cat in neon in the window, dressed in a little black dress. Relena and Dorothy were the first to enter, warning the others to park the car somewhere close enough to get to quickly, but hidden if they could. As soon as they entered, they were instantly bombarded, the manager looked ready to explode, his face red. "You two are **late**!" he exclaimed as he immediately ushered them towards the inside, "I don't like this plan, Madam, if I do say so myself. Don't like the business, if you know what I mean, but y'know, I ain't got nowhere else to go…"

"If you can keep this quiet, you'll probably be given a good chance of surviving. You and this… joint."

"Thank'ye, Madam, pleasure t'help ye it is." Relena smiled, "Good." Strolling in with the saunter and the swaying hips she fell into her element. She'd learned from the best after all. And the best was standing there next to her, surveying the room through her thick lowered eyelashes. Immediately, she went for the back of the bar, where she'd been stationed and Relena mingled on the 'dance floor' in the center, ignoring the other girls clustered around the edges, she went straight for the center, looking for anyone she thought was 'not right'. They were usually the most beautiful you could find. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, but enough sultry looks thrown at random men as to keep herself from blowing her cover, she noticed nothing more than Duo stumbling towards the bar, playing the part of 'drunk but sexy as hell' perfectly. Only if you looked carefully enough did you notice his eyes were stone cold sober and they were surveying the room looking for that 'feel' experienced vampire hunters develop after a long while of hunting.

Dorothy was having a hassle as she juggled between 'entertaining' a man at the bar and scouting for anyone suspicious. They were always the slipperiest ones to catch. They couldn't be seen. From descriptions on their looks, she knew a few basic details that could be said for about half the population of the place and the known fact that they were ethereally beautiful. Great.

Heero Yuy never went in at all, he was too busy haunting the alleyways around the club, eyes and ears perked for the tiniest movements, usually from the few alley cats digging through the garbage. Finally, he heard voices. "Do you really suppose we should continue coming here? Someone might suspect you know."

"Where else d'you think we can get some excitement in our lives? The Queen wouldn't allow it."

"What is she planning to do? She was after that princess…"

"She… sh, do you hear something?"

"Fresh blood?" asked the other and Heero could **feel** the man's bloodlust and was disgusted.

"No, probably another one of those stupid cats… enough, let's go in and catch us a good time before we eat."

"Always the one to play with your food before you eat it, aren't you?" The two of them entered the strip joint without another word said.

Heero followed them, with sure, silent footsteps. As much as he wanted to be rid of them here and now, he knew Relena would be as mad as a she-demon if she found out he'd stolen her assignment. And a she-demon was one of the few things he'd met in his career of Hunting, and wished to avoid completely. He entered and was immediately holding some girl in his arms, but he just as quickly, with a suave charm he had learned he possessed (as much as he disliked it, despite the scrapes it had gotten him out of) he placed her somewhere else.

Dorothy was at his side in an instant, "Any news?" she hissed quickly before, in a louder voice, "A drink for you, baby?" she asked in a voice that sent a delicious shiver down his spine despite himself. Dorothy was in her element… she was the best. And he knew, even though she had never been his type. She was a little on the too outspoken side. Any other person might've said the same about Relena Peacecraft. But in reality, Relena didn't just state her opinions, her persuasive manner (that appeared no matter how many times she denied anything other than crystal clear fact) and her assurance that all she said was truth was a completely different story.

"The two that just came in before me. The one with the long hair and the one with the weird shirt." It was weird all right, even for a guy's standards. It was neon green and with large orange Hawaiian flowers printed on it. It was also very, very ugly. "Got it."

"No, I don't want a drink, I'm waiting for someone." He continued, keeping up the act. She smiled, and with a purr reverberating in her throat, she smiled, green eyes gleaming, "Well, if they stand you up, I'll still be waiting, honey." She sauntered away, incidentally towards where Relena was. Gripping the girl's arm, she passed inches from her ear as she danced along with the beat of the music, "I'll be nice and let you have the guy with the long hair. I'll take the guy with no fashion taste."

"I owe you one."

"You got it." she smiled as she swayed her hips, sliding against some guy behind her and continued to slowly wander in the direction of the guy at the bar. Drinking from a shot glass as it was, and with some girl in his lap. Dorothy sauntered over, leaning back against the wood paneling of the bar and turned towards the girl in the guy's lap. "Hey, manager's looking for you… I'll keep your seat warm if you want…" she said, with a certain look through her eyelashes. The man grinned and slapped the other girl's butt, "Don't worry gal, I'll be waiting for you to get back though."

Dorothy immediately slid on the vacated seat on the man's lap, being sure to give him a view of what she had to offer first off. Raking fingernails through his hair, she purred, "So baby, you looking for someone?" The guy was literally putty in her hands. How on **earth** could the Preventers not have killed this guy? He was mere cannon fodder, naive and stupid.

"I think I just found you." He answered, his one hand wandering up and down her leg, his other gripping her ass, as he continued to stare at her chest. She could literally **feel** Trowa's eyes on her as she played on the seduction scene. Should she lead him…? No, not yet, it was too soon. "So what do you do for a living? A lover of pleasure?" she asked, suggestively.

"Soldier for the Queen." he said before adding hurriedly, "Queen Relena, I meant."

"Relena? You mean the Vice Foreign Minister?"

"Hey, I don't like girls that talk too much..." he said, his hand moving from her leg up her abdomen to her chest, squeezing hard enough for it to hurt, but she managed to moan just right for it to do the job. "Ohh… you must work well with your hands..." she said, as her own hand reached down lower to grasp the hardness she felt pressing into her hip. She felt his breath catch.

"Can you get off work anytime soon?"

"I can take a break if you want it… a very long break."

"Then let's go."

__

Perfect… now Lena, if you're as good as I know you are, you'dve caught the hint. She did, she was already heading for the door with the other man. The others were following, and she could see a look of veiled rage on Heero's face as he watched Relena's antics. She never noticed Trowa's.

Only when they got out did she finally let him begin nuzzling her throat, waiting for that moment. He would probably want sex first before he drank from her. Unless he liked screwing dead women… She shook away that thought away because at that moment, the contact and the feeling of the blood rushing through her veins proved a little too much and his fangs lengthened as he reared back to bite her. At that moment, she grasped a stake she'd had hidden in the alleyway right behind her, and slammed it towards his chest. It should've been easy. But it wasn't. As if he'd expected it, he swiped it away, smacking her face along with it, making her fly to the ground, the wind temporarily knocked out of her. "So you found out my little secret… too bad you won't live long enough to tell anyone…" Dorothy growled, kicking off the torture items that were known as high heels and landed a roundhouse kick on his jaw as she spun herself to her feet. His face smashed into the brick of the wall.

"AGH! Dammit you **bitch**!" he growled, swiping at her, dirt-encrusted fingernails swiftly becoming talons. Whatever idiot he was in dressing, he was quite good in battle experience… Dodging a side-sweep that would've knocked her off her feet and come crashing down on the white puffball that was attached to her ass, she jumped up, gaining enough height to shove a foot hard into his nose, breaking it a second time. A pity she hadn't still worn one shoe, she might've shoved it through his brain. But they were too risky, she might wrench an ankle and she **would** be in a fix!

Just as she was dropping from her jump, she found herself hurled against the wall, his large clawed hand crushing her windpipe against the wall as she kicked him in vain. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stop tearing at his hand holding her and landed a solid punch at his own throat. Not stopping at that, her legs came up, grabbing him in a scissors-lock and twisted the lower half of her body. In a normal man, it would've snapped there neck. With a vampire, there was just enough pain to make him loose his hold on her, allowing her to rip his hand off her throat, and she smashed her heel into his face as she landed, gasping for breath.

Her lungs on fire, she grasped the wood of the stake she'd been holding and whirled, hoping to slam it in his chest if he was still down. Of course, luck was not with her and he was up and towering over her. She was at a height disadvantage as he kicked the stake out of her hand, crushing it with the heel of his boot. "You little bitch. Did you really believe that you could beat the Queen's warriors by yourself?" he hissed, eyes glowing a dark red color. He was mad, and the multiple wounds she'd inflicted on him, made his face even more grotesque.

Forget what she'd thought earlier. He didn't have good battle experience, he had **excellent **battle experience. And she was on the losing side, even though it wasn't by much. The others would be helping Relena, them always being the overprotected guys of the princess that they were. _I guess being Duchess, a total bitch, and a past enemy does give you a disadvantage,_ she thought as she flung herself back in a back flip that she'd learned in the acrobatics that Trowa and Cathy had taught her way back when. She landed heavily on her feet, stepping in something she shuddered to thing about. The lack of shoes was a bitch to handle when fighting for your life in an alley at night. She kept herself silent, not liking to speak other than when absolutely necessary. It was wasting breath on this scum, breath she'd rather use to beat the crap out of them… if she survived this, that is. Wiping a line of sweat trickling down the side of her face, she kept her eyes on her adversary, not looking away. He was good… too good. She didn't like how this was going… A soft growl reverberated in her throat, this guy was pissing her off big time.

"What, too scared to answer me, little girl? Come on you little whore, you know what you were trying to do."

Anger surged up again and she snapped, "And you know you were putty in my hands. You in all your neon-orange and green splendor." The vampire's face turned red before lunging at her, fangs sparking in the sudden moonlight. They were out of the alley, and right near the door of the club. This was not good, someone might see. She managed to shove a fist into the guy's windpipe, nearly crushing it and making him lose his momentum. He fell to the ground, coughing and gagging. Grabbing a silver knife from a pocket in her costume (God knows where) she fell into a dive roll that would have allowed her to shove it in his chest and roll out of the way of the cloud of ashes that would explode momentarily.

Of course… things did not happen that way as she found out. With a powerful arm, he grabbed her and flung her to the ground, straddling her stomach and pinning her arms down as she kicked his back in vain. "Get OFF me!" she yelled straining to buck him off. He grabbed the wooden hilt of the silver knife in his hand, drawing languid figure eight's around her chest area as she struggled against him. "You recall I wanted a night of wild sex and pleasure, and I intend to get it whether or not you're dead or alive." Dorothy felt her normally pale skin pale even more. This was not good…

"NO! Let GO of me!"

"Shut it," he growled, bearing down on her, fangs snapping close to her neck. The situation seemed desperate… But he bore down on her, she smacked her head upwards, knocking his backwards, his grip loosening just the slightest bit. Tearing her arms away from him, she grasped the knife in her hand, shoving it towards his heart… he blocked it!

Swearing under her breath, she lunged rather desperately. Missed him! She was up now, and she was armed only with a rather small knife against this… thing. Close combat came again, she sliced open his flesh in several places, but absolutely nowhere vital. He didn't seem to be slowing… there! With a practiced slash, the knife slid through the side of his neck, encountered his spine and severed it with only an application of slightly more force and continued going. Blood flew into her face as the now dead vampire's head flew off its body, falling to the ground rolling several times. The rest of its body fell to the floor, draining the sticky red liquid of a previous victim and lay there for a moment, before it and the head exploded into ashes. Slipping several times in the slick liquid, she made her way slowly out of the alleyway, her body covered in blood, her clothes almost in tatters. A figure approached her at a run, and for a second she thought it was the long-haired vampire and she felt ready to drop to her knees in both fatigue and frustration… she could not handle another one tonight… all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

"Dorothy!" It was Duo, and her heart flooded with relief. She wouldn't be fighting him anytime soon… she literally fell against his chest, legs crumpling. He didn't seem to care about all the blood smearing onto his own clothing he looked extremely worried. "Wow, sorry there was no one there… we all kind of figured Trowa was coming here for you, and Quatre's coming too. He got stuck in the club in some bar fight that dragged him into it… Relena was barely able to keep the other guy at bay and the rest of us had to help out before it would go down… she was mad as hell though when we did… Did you take down that other guy by yourself?"

During all his chatter, Dorothy had been fighting to stay conscious. "Yeah… he was… harder than I thought… he would be…" she managed to say. Duo was immediately worried, "Did he do anything? Are you hurt anywhere at all? Is this your blood?"

"No… his… he already fed tonight… I'm fine… just tired."

"I should think you'd be tired! Hell that other guy was **tough**! C'mon, let's get you to the others." But she couldn't walk, she was already asleep. Sighing, Duo pulled her into a piggyback as he headed for the meeting spot. Her limp arms slowly came around his neck in a soft hug, and the sleeping girl murmured something, "Trowa… love you… 'Night." Duo would have cheerfully brought a knife to his friend's throat to ask why he had left his girl all alone to fight some vampire all by herself! To think he'd dropped this girl so harshly, and to think that Miss Ice Queen Duchess Catalonia could love a jerk like the resident circus clown so much was beyond him. Trowa **had** been a jerk tonight, and he had been for a long while whenever she was near. Why, the braided boy could not figure out. Something was **extremely** wrong with the guy.

Who would let someone like Dorothy get away?

~*~*~*~

End of chapter! I finished it! I'm sorry if you thought it would go a little more than that… hey, I'm not **that** old y'know, I don't make it a hobby to check out strip clubs. Anyway the muse thing. If you've read any of my other fics, you would've found out it's in all of them. That's because only **ONE** person read my author's fic! And it's about my friends and I out to find my muses! *sniff* Please, read and review it! Please?! And review **this** fic too, don't forget **that**!


	5. Ritual

Title: Vampiric Sacrifice

Author: stefani teee a.k.a. Koneko ^Å^

© Tales Spinners Inc.

Koneko-chan says!

Hi! First off, about what you people said about the previous chapter. No, Duo does **not** have a crush on Dorothy. Mind you, he does care for her like he does any of his friends, like any person would care for their friends. But he's seen how Trowa and Dorothy worked out, what he doesn't see is why he would let her go like that. He wasn't awake when Trowa admitted to Heero, Relena and Dorothy about Midii remember? But even he can tell something's not quite right. That was what I was going for, if any of you think otherwise, I apologize.

****

Chapter Four: Ritual

~*~*~*~

"Dorothy!" Relena came running over to Duo as soon as she spotted him. And the bloody body he had flung over his shoulders. "Is she okay?"

"Shh!" he admonished, "She's asleep. And she's fine." He turned to Trowa, who had stood there in shock when he'd seen them, and the blue eyes that met green told the taller boy that a certain braided American was **very** mad. But that was for later, now was the time to tell what he could. "I went as fast as I could when I realized we were all here and Dorothy was all alone. When I got there, there was blood dripping over the sidewalk and into the gutters and Dorothy was stumbling out of there, she looked like a wreck. She'd finished the guy herself… and she seemed to have done a good job of it." He held up the small silver knife she'd used, "I found this, and what looked like a shattered stake. I think she decapitated him with this…" Relena grimaced taking it from him and examining it.

"I had to do that before… granted, it'll burn into them like hell, but it must've taken a lot of strength to break his neck with this…" Her words were short and sharp. She was angry. No, that was not right, she was **furious**. Dorothy had taken on a vampire that not even a slew of well-armed Preventers could kill. And **where** had her backup been?! Trowa had just appeared at **her** fight scene near the middle, and he'd been helping bring the other guy down. Dorothy had been **alone**. Still keeping pressure on her leg, where he'd gotten a lucky slash in, she jerked her head in the direction of the car. "Let's go. We'll talk when we get there."

"Where are we going, might I ask?" It was Wufei.

"Dorothy's."

"Then let's get moving." Heero's voice betrayed nothing, nor did he say anything more. But the dreadful silence was more uncomfortable than if he had started yelling. Same old 'Omae o korosu' Heero. The car ride was uneventful. Quatre had had to forcibly place Relena in the backseat and let him drive. She didn't resist much longer because soon enough she found herself falling asleep against her Dorothy's shoulder. Incidentally, Dorothy's head was propped up in a rather familiar position on Trowa's shoulder. Slowly, the man in question lifted his arm, allowing her the more comfortable position of his arm around her and her head against his chest.

He'd known he'd made a mistake, and he was sorry… very, very sorry. He'd honestly thought that someone else would come after her, to be her backup… and when they'd finished off the vermin that Relena had attacked, Duo had come to a full stop, stared at each and every one of them and sped off. It had only struck him at that moment that Dorothy was all by herself. Slowly, his arm tightened around her, as he took in the blood drying in her hair, dying the blonde strands a strange reddish color. Her neck was a mass of bruises and he winced as the thought came to him that he should've been there. But he was delayed by a stupid bar fight right when he was about to follow her and it had given some strange girl the perfect excuse to jump him screaming for him to save her. When he'd finally gotten out, he'd ran for the nearest sound he could find, and that happened to lead to Relena.

"Did you know, Trowa?" Relena was awake, and once again, he could've sworn she could read minds. "Did you know she was all alone?"

"No… I thought someone… anyone would help her while I was stuck in there… I honestly didn't know, or else I would've been there…" After saying all this, he relapsed back into silence as Relena smoothed away a lock of sun-bleached hair from her friend's face. "When she wakes up… explain it to her." her voice was soft and he looked up at her askance. She smiled a small, rather wry smile. "If I started screaming and bitching at you, it would help no one, least of all Dorothy. Just tell her; make her understand what you did. Okay?"

He nodded slowly as he gazed down at the girl still sleeping against his chest, "I will." She deserved the truth anyway… being all alone with no one else to count on probably hadn't been very good for her self-confidence. He remembered telling Wufei something… _girls are so much more easily hurt than you or I_. He sighed, life was a huge mess for him right now. Quatre slid into the darkened driveway of Dorothy's chateau. The other males in the car had stayed silent while Relena had dealt with Trowa. When she came hobbling out, still applying pressure on the bandage at her leg, Heero, without another word picked her up in his arms and said, "Don't move it and it won't bleed. You don't have to press so hard like this." Relena smiled wanly up at him, "Thanks." He nodded and continued walking up the driveway towards the house. Trowa looked down at the girl still in the car and with a sigh picked her up, holding her against his chest. As he did so, something shiny dropped out of a pocket (hidden somewhere on her) and he stooped to pick it up. It was a ring. _Probably one of the silver ones she likes to wear so much._ It was true, she never left her house without carrying a silver ring on her finger. But as soon as he walked into the light, he recognized the ring with a flash. It was her…

"You found it." Dorothy's voice was flat and inexpressive as she opened her eyes at last. He blinked. That was another trait of hers… no one could tell when she was asleep or when she was not. She took the ring from his hand but hesitated, "You gave it to me… do you want it back now?" Trowa bit his lip, looking down at her through his big green eyes, "Dorothy… I…" She waved a hand at him, "No need to say anything. I heard it all. I was awake through most of the car ride you know. And, believe it or not, I was awake when you were hugging me in the car."

"Dorothy, I just wanted to say about you being alone… did you think I didn't care?" 

All of a sudden, the sultry little demoness disappeared and a tired young woman was left. She laughed hoarsely, "I thought a lot further than that Tro… I thought about how being a bad-tempered Duchess would never compare to a Vice Foreign Minister that every loved, that everyone depended on. I thought about how every one of you thought I was the biggest bitch in the world and a total slut at that. I thought about all those things in the past when I took Mr. Milliardo's side instead of yours, and yes, I did think none of you cared. I had a fleeting suspicion that you did it purposely just to get me out of your way… of course, you're too noble to do that." she said with another wry smile. She got free of his hold and dropped lightly onto the ground, "Too bad I don't remember much of last night… memories are never as good as the real thing but they'll be all that I'll have." With that, she ran up ahead of him through her door. Trowa stared down at the engagement ring he'd given her months ago. It was true… memories **weren't** as good as the real thing. He closed his hand around the small silver band, and walked in after her.

Dorothy went straight to her room, where a hot bath had already been drawn and she silently thanked her own personal maid. She stripped off the tatters that were left of her costume and slipped into the comfortable warmth that allowed her to wash off the disgusting feel of the vampire's touch. She sighed as she leaned against the side of the old-fashioned porcelain edge of her bathtub. Things would never go so well for her would they? Trowa had Midii now and he should've been happy. She'd let him go hadn't she? But then she had to make an even bigger mess of things and went over to Lena's, get completely drunk and she had had sex with him again. Trowa was not the type of man to do that… sober that is.

Dammit! She played with the idea of punching something, but decided against it. This was a nice bathtub and besides, she'd break something else in her hand if she hadn't already. It was a mass of blue and black bruises as it was. Stupid of her. She finally raised herself from the bathtub… she had guests to entertain and it would not be polite to leave them in the living room. Dressing quickly, she pulled on a green shirt and a pair of drawstring pants still rubbing her hair vigorously with a towel as she stepped out into the hall. An unexpected flash of lightning flaring up in the large bay window beside her made her jump as she turned to stare at the pouring rain outside. She groaned… just what she needed.

"Do you scare easily, Miss Catalonia?" asked the slightly disdainful voice of Chang Wufei. She, in her turn, gave him her perfected Imperial Stare. "No. It simply surprised me. But I like to be on guard if you know what I mean. Should it even mean being so tense all the time." The young man allowed a small smile. "I myself have felt that way… granted, I do not jump at lightning strikes." Dorothy looked away, muttering, "Serve you right should you be struck down by one." Wufei laughed, a rather nice sounding laugh from this grim-looking man, "I don't fear death but I am not **stupid**." Dorothy returned the laugh with her own. "I suspected as much. Where you looking for something?"

"I was actually going to ask you if I could use your vid-phone."

"Sally?"

"Sally." He confirmed and she made a Herculean attempt to hide her mirth. "Better go ahead then… if she's still mad after she's done with you, she'll be starting on the host… and we're not living in Lena's house at the moment."

He laughed again before nodding in her direction and heading off in the opposite towards the vid-phone in the hallway. With that, Dorothy made her entrance in the 'changing room' as it was now being called as Relena was helping hand out their clothes. Dorothy began to help out folding them neatly and placing them in a pile beside her. "When you go you can take them home too if you want." she told Trowa as he came out of the bathroom wearing what he had been before. "Er… yes. Thank you."

"Lady Dorothy?" a timid knock sounded on the door and Dorothy went to open it. There was a petite figure of a little girl standing there, "Lady Dorothy, there's someone pounding at the front door and I'm too scared to open it because…" she didn't finish her sentence. Dorothy sighed, "I'm going then… oh no you don't, you're coming too little missy, you've got to confront your fears sometime." The little girl nodded trembling but she bravely followed the older girl through the darkened hallways. Dorothy had sprinted all the way to the door, the little girl a few meters behind with her shorter legs but they made it. Indeed someone was still pounding on the door and Dorothy opened it to see, illuminated by the huge flashes of lightning, a figure of a slim blonde woman, her platinum-blonde hair soaked through and dripping to her face. She was she half-dragged, half-carried what looked like a slumped body to the door. Dorothy stared at the unmistakable figure, "Midii Une?!"

"Miss Dorothy! Thank goodness you're home! Are any your other friends here?! Is Trowa here?!" she asked, her voice thick with panic. Dorothy immediately ushered the girl in and as she began pulling, she found that it would not budge. "He's Mr. Townsend."

"Then you're invited in, now get in here." snapped Dorothy at the unconscious deadweight as she yanked him into the house. She then stared at her arch-nemesis dripping and she sighed, "Katie, please go and fetch Miss Une a towel… I feel an explanation is needed." Middii shook her head wildly, droplets of water flying everywhere as she did so before she stopped. "No! Vampires are attacking Mr. Townsend's house! They're—" Another loud bashing of Dorothy's poor door sounded.

"What's happening out here?" asked Relena as she came into the front hallway. "Someone's at the door." Dorothy replied wrenching it open. Another bolt of lightning flashed again with perfect timing, lit up the sky so she could see one of the most gruesome sights ever. She found herself, and Midii, screaming before Relena rushed forward. "It's you!" she cried as if she knew the monster.

"Relena… you know this… thing?"

"Here… sav—ed her, big house… burning. You. Come… Roz-lin there." He held out the battered, but still alive figure of Emmy, another one of Adrian Townsend's servants. Relena's eyes went cold at the mention of Rosaline, "She is, is she?" she asked dangerously. "Well then I'll be there in a moment. I've got to get my supplies." She then went off in a half-sprint (as her leg was still in pain) towards the room where she immediately grabbed her battered knapsack and ran back. But this did not happen without several guys following her. One among them was, of course, Heero Yuy. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!" yelled Duo as he raced after her, catching up with her easily. "You realize it's storming out?!"

"Call Preventers." She told him instead, "Adrian Townsend's mansion is burning. Midii Une, Adrian Townsend and Emmy White are in the front hall, and I'm off with my… friend to find Rosaline. And where there's Rosaline, there's that Jacinta girl."

"You're insane! You're going to just run into a burning building like you Wonder Woman or whatever?"

"She-demon from Hell would be more accurate because I'll literally rip that house apart if I have to in order to find those two vampiresses. And I'm going to kill them." She told him, her voice frigid. "Now, whether you come with me or not, I'm going." She went back to the door and ran out into the storm. Wufei and Heero followed her as the others sprang into action back in Dorothy's house. She smiled grimly, they would be good enough.

The thing she was with (she had yet to learn if it even had a name) ran faster than it looked. She could barely keep up, especially with her damn leg. _Of all nights, it **had** to be one when I am partially disabled!_ Biting back a groan, she continued to run. No need to complain in front of 'Women are Weak' Wufei. Finally, the… thing, stopped. She paused, wondering what was wrong… they weren't even near the house yet. "Be care—ful. Trap. People. Roz—lin." She looked up at the hulking building as she tried to think what that could mean… how could she get in if it was true about a trap? "What kind of trap?" she finally asked.

"People. Hurt. Fire." He tried to speak coherently but it was hard enough to just make out one-syllable words. "I see."

"Damn, what the hell are we supposed to do then?" muttered Heero, glancing over the house in the attempt to figure a way in. The creature shook its big burly head, "No. Follow. Careful."

He led them through the gardens, the roses already withering from the intense heat waves emanating from the burning house. Relena could smell the smell of burning wood, and, as she neared the door, the acrid smell of burning flesh. She bit back a cry, "Oh Chris…" she tarried just long enough to place her hand over his, the one part of him that hadn't yet been burned black, before continuing on into the burning mansion. They were led through the halls towards the crimson room where they'd last been conversing with Midii Une and there, perched on a half-scorched sofa was Roslyn, sipping a cup of some ruby liquid daintily. Relena found the odds ten to one that it was human blood in that teacup. 

"The little birdie came!" she said delighted, her tongue flicking at the corners of her mouth licking any traces of blood from them. "Jacy? Jacy where are you?"

"Making sure your little birdie and her friends don't fly away." The other woman's voice floated in front the ceiling, where a hole had been ripped through the scorched timbers. She was armed with two shotguns, and by the look of her, she knew how to use them.

"Where are the others you've got?"

Roslyn made strange swirling gestures with her hands, "Taking a bath… they like taking a bath… their blood washes them clean…" Relena paled, "You killed them." she said finally, her hand clenching tightly on the gun she held in her grasp. "You… bitch!" she choked out, Jacy dropped down lightly on her feet, and took her place beside Roslyn. Roslyn frowned, "Bad birdie, don't call big people names." Relena growled, brandishing her weapon quickly, shooting a gun out of Jacy's hand in the split-second it took. "I'm not calling you names, I'm giving you your title!" The other two were armed now, and Roslyn began laughing, "Silly birdies… you can't hurt us…"

"Wanna bet?" asked Relena, blasting bullets at her. It was point-blank range… there was no way she could've missed. "What the hell?!" she gasped as Roslyn literally threw herself at Relena, clawing at her face, laughing, "I told you so, I told you so!" she trilled, "You can't hurt us!" Relena found her gun knocked out of her hand and watched it fly to the other side of the room, underneath a table. Damn. Heero was up against Jacy, and Wufei was tangling with several other vampires who happened to come in at the wrong time… most of them were dusted quite quickly… but there was always the odd one out that he had a hard time with.

Relena kicked upwards, catching Roslyn's abdomen with her foot in an attempt to get her off her. _What the hell is **with** this thing?! It's not dying!_ "Little birdie's gonna die!" crooned Roslyn, as if to a small doll.

"Not too soon!" Relena clenched her teeth in pain as she rolled right into a flaming corner of the room. _Dammit! How the hell am I going to live through this if the fire keeps on spreading like this?!_ "I can break your neck now, little birdie… do you want that? Behave little birdie and I'll let you sing a little song."

"I'll tell you when I sing my damn song. Now would you fucking DIE?!" Relena literally smacked a stake right through her chest, and Heero could see the point appear through the white gossamer fabric from behind. Roslyn's eyes widened, and her claws raked the air as she cried, in a hoarse voice, "Jacy!"

The other woman kicked Heero out of her way and grabbed her, ripping the stake out of her lover's chest and crushing it in her hand. She threw the remaining splinters at Relena's face and growled, "You can't kill her like that you stupid fool!" she took one mighty leap towards the upper story where the gaping hole had been, and the both of them disappeared up. Relena was close to being in shock, _Why the hell didn't she **DIE**?!_ She screamed at herself in her mind as Heero wrenched her upwards. The monster that'd accompanied them had taken off after the pair with a howl and she could do nothing to stop it. "We've got to get out of here!" Heero told her, coughing in the smog, "We're going to burn like the rest of the place if we don't."

Gasping for air, she nodded, "Where's Wufei?"

"Right here. Let's get going." replied the voice behind her as they made for the large window. The only problem was the fact that they were three stories in the air. "Shit!" she cursed, berating herself for forgetting about all this. She could see the fire trucks in the distance, but it would take too long for them to set up the nets. What the hell were they going to do? The hall behind them were already aflame.

"I take you." The monster was back and Relena turned in time to watch in shock as the thing swept all three of them up in his arms and jumping out the window. She felt herself holding back a scream as its hind claws caught a hold on the wall and he walked vertically down the wall, before jumping down heavily on the ground. "Hurr—ry, not safe. Run!" he disappeared in a different direction after he'd gestured towards the fire trucks. He couldn't be seen. Relena sent a silent thanks to the creature as she and the two young men made for the flashing lights.

"Relena!" Dorothy came running towards her, holding a black umbrella to keep off the rain (not that it was doing much good), "Did you find the others?"

"They're dead." she replied hollowly, collapsing on the grass that hadn't been scorched just yet as the fire crew tried to get them to stay away. "Were there any others in the—Vice Foreign Minister?!"

"No." she replied, "They're all dead. There was some psycho in there and the others were murdered." The fireman looked horrified, "What were you doing in there?! You could've been killed too!"

"I didn't know there was a killer in there. The master of the building and one of his servants went to my friend's house for help. I was there helping with paperwork and when I heard there was a fire, I wanted to help." she had on her political look now, cool and distant, but she managed to inject in a small amount of panic to make it seem realistic. "The entire thing was burning and when we went into the red room, one of them was there. She tried to kill us…" she winced as she touched the claw marks on her neck gingerly. "And she had long nails."

"We'll have to bring you to the police…"

"My friend will take me to Preventers… I think they might want to know about this…"

"But Ma'am, the Preventers are only for threats of warfare…"

"They're also closely linked to the police and the government. I need to speak with them." Her voice held no room for disagreement. He took a deep breath, "Yes Ma'am, please be careful…"

She smiled at last, nodding. "Yes sir."

The man was called back to continue working on saving the burning building as Heero looked at her carefully, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah… but what the hell happened? You saw it… you saw how it went in…"

"Yeah. What the hell happened back there?"

"What happened? Lena? Heero?" When she received no answer from them, she turned to Wufei, "Wufei?"

"We found the two vampiresses. We had to fight them… Relena got one right through… but nothing happened." Dorothy's eyes widened as she held the umbrella up over his head, ignoring the fact that they were all soaked anyway. Heero was helping the limping Relena, and they all slowly made their way back to Dorothy's.

"Lady Catalonia! What happened?!" cried an elderly servant when the mistress of the house entered through the front door, lips tight and her friends soaked. "Get some towels." was her only answer. Hardly ever did she ever address her servants like this, and when she did, they all knew it was nigh time to get out of her way. "Yes, Lady." The woman rushed off as quickly as she could as and reappeared in the sitting room where the others were, busying themselves with Adrian Townsend.

Finally, after the entire thing was over, Relena began shivering, mostly from the cold, but also because of a sudden chill fear… she had never encountered a vampire or vampiress she could not kill. This… this scared her. Before, when she'd known the vermin existed, she hadn't feared them, she'd hated them. But she'd known they had mortality, they could die. This vampiress… Roslyn, she wasn't like the others, she'd been sure to stab her right through her heart… and before, she'd shot at her point-blank. At least **one** of the bullets should've been able to kill her!

Midii Une sat huddled on a corner of a couch looking rather vulnerable as she watched the others tend for Adrian Townsend. She looked completely alien here, and she must've felt so, because this was the house of a girl that distinctly hated her. She had received a towel in her hand, which she'd used to dry her face of the tears and of the rainwater that had seeped through her hair. A warm blanket had then been wrapped around her shivering body and the young man who'd introduced himself to be Quatre Rebarba Winner had given her a seat close to the crackling fire in the fireplace.

Relena went to her knees beside Adrian, checking him methodically as if she were even half as experienced as Sally. Which she wasn't, but she could probably find out what was wrong.

"Midii, what happened?" she asked the young woman seriously. They needed to know what had happened back there. Midii shuddered, seeming to disappear even deeper in the folds of the blanket, "I… he…"

"A little quicker if you don't mind." Wufei said, not in the mood to waste his time. Relena glared at him before turning back to the young woman, "Go on."

"He'd finished taking blood that night… from one of the other maids… he never takes enough for them to die, only for them to feel queasy for a few minutes… and he's usually a little drowsy when he does so. I guess he didn't hear the voices outside… he usually can. The door burst open and the vampires just came in…"

"Just came in? But they weren't invited were they?" Midii shook her head, "No… they just swarmed in. It was Mr. Townsend's home you see… he's already dead. The rule doesn't apply to house owners who are already dead." Relena raised an eyebrow, "So you know something about vampiric law then."

"Working with Mr. Townsend, how could I not?"

"Continue."

"Mr. Townsend tried to keep everyone safe. He knew what they were… we all did because they all had, had fangs you know? He ordered all of us to go through the tunnels, he thought the vampires wouldn't know about them…"

"Well did they?" Relena asked, beginning to get a bad feeling about these vampires… they weren't normal. None of them should have been able to pass through the doors… there was something very wrong about this. It was then she felt a strong arm wrapping around her and she noticed then that she was shivering. It was Duo, and he looked down at her in concern, "You all right there, Lena-girl?"

"I'm…" she paused, before continuing, almost in a whisper so only Duo could hear, "I'm scared." He blinked, but he rather understood. "I can see how you can be… I mean they've been attacking your house before, and you learning that they can just waltz into anyone's house…"

"…means that you can't be safe anymore." finished Heero, coming closer to them. Midii nodded, "I didn't know how to stop them… they just threw Mr. Townsend out of the way like a rag doll… One of the other maids got close enough to one of the two vampiresses, shoved a silver knife through her… the other vampiress grabbed her and ripped off her head and flung her body aside." She shuddered as she recalled what had happened, biting her the bottom of her rosebud lips that Dorothy had so envied for so long, to keep from crying. Trowa was sitting next to her, and he carefully placed an arm around her, allowing the young woman to lean her head against him. Dorothy said nothing. She simply stood up quietly, and walked to the other couch, curling her legs beneath her and leaning her elbow on the armrest. Surprisingly, it was Wufei who sat down next to her to provide moral support. Midii looked almost guilty, but she was perfectly fine with the position she was in. She wasn't above showing off who had caught the masked clown in the end.

It was at this point that Adrian Townsend awoke, looking around himself in blatant confusion. "Where in the world…?" he asked, almost to himself before he recognized the blonde angel standing close to him. "Miss Relena, only you could make this nightmare into a dream…" he muttered trying to stand up. 

"Trust me, this is no dream… Midii can fill you in on the details if you're interested."

"There is no need… I remember quite well…" he frowned, "I don't like this new breed of our kind."

"Neither do I, that's why I have to stop them. But I shot her several times point blank and she didn't flinch, I shoved a stake through her chest and she still didn't die."

"Is this one of the same vampiresses that attacked my house?"

"Yes." His frown deepened as he thought, staring into the fire burning in Dorothy's fireplace. "It sounds like they were tampering with something… perhaps some spell or ritual…"

"Magic?" Wufei's voice was scornful before Relena shot him a sharp look and Dorothy nudged him in the side.

"Yes… let us just say that vampires have a different definition of magic than you do… vampirism apparently gives us something more than the average human… I had several volumes in my home… I wonder if they're still unharmed."

"Volumes… books… about these spells and/or rituals?" asked Relena, suddenly anxious. "Where were these?"

"In a secret room hidden behind the library… I simply hope they haven't been touched by the fire or the smoke."

"Do you think we could go check?" she asked, still in the same anxious tone. Dorothy was looking at her friend in surprise now, "What's wrong, Miss Relena? Do you know something we might not?"

"No… I'm just wondering if maybe those vermin found out Adrian had those books and that's why they attacked…"

Adrian frowned, "That's impossible… no one should know about those, I haven't told a soul I have them."

"Fine. Then it's probably not very likely… but I should still like to see those books. May we?"

Adrian gave her a charming grin tinged with sarcasm, "Do you wish to break into my house a second time, and force your way through the firefighters working so hard to keep the place from becoming an even bigger ruin?"

Relena shrugged, not fazed at all. "Yes. I'd like to see them when they're still whole and not blackened and burnt."

"Very well…" he stood up gingerly, Midii Une at his side in an instant. 

He smiled at her, "As bad a performance as she may give to my guests at odd times, she has turned out to be a very wonderful young servant." Midii shrugged, "When you want a job done right, you have to work hard at it."

"And you do your job very well… are you coming, Miss Relena?"

"Obviously," she clenched her teeth together as she stood, doing her best to ignore the gash in her leg, and with help, they made for Dorothy's front door. Dorothy watched her friend, concern in her pale blue eyes. "Miss Relena, do be careful," she said, reverting back into her days of admiration for the other girl. Relena smiled wryly, "If I'm not back in half an hour…" before she, Adrian, Midii and Heero (just to make the quota of uninjured people higher) were off on the now familiar pathway back to the house.

Midii looked surprised when they reached the library, and Adrian ripped up a floorboard with relative ease, pressing a code into the machine beneath it. "Imagine… all the times I entered this room to dust all those books and I never noticed a loose floorboard."

"That's because it wasn't loose," Relena told her, picking up a nail she'd caught when it flew out of the board. "He ripped it up off the floor when it was completely nailed down."

The panel of books slid back, out of the way of the other bookshelves, before sliding to the side, another wall of metal slid up, before they entered the small room, lined with shelves similar to the ones in the library. The books however varied from scrolls, to manuscripts, to large leather-bound books. Relena grimaced as she thought of reading through all of them. "Can we be able to transport these out of your house, Adrian? The men outside might surely be able to find them here if the fire doesn't get to them." All of them frowned at the thought of the fire still raging in other parts of the large house.

"Yes, of course, do you think we can bring them all?" Midii stood up, walking back through the wall into the library, flinging a sheet off one of the chairs that had been covered and bringing it back in. 

"If they're not damaged at all, we might be able to bring them back to Miss Catalonia's like this." she said, beginning to place the books on the sheet that she'd spread on the floor. "That way we won't look so much like fools when we walk past, and they won't have to ask that many questions." Relena followed her example, ripping another sheet off a sofa and bringing it back in as she and Heero began placing the more delicate scrolls in another sheet so they wouldn't be crushed by the heavier books. They left the library, closing the secret room, and made their way out the mansion. When stopped by the firefighters, Adrian immediately replied that he wished to save some of the more important documents that hadn't been consumed by the flames and they were allowed to pass, with offers of help from several of the officers. They thanked the gods that the sheets were plastic as they trudged through the heavy rain back to Dorothy's.

"Did you get them?" she asked as soon as they had returned, wincing as Heero brushed a bruise on her skin as he walked past her with his burden. "Yeah, we managed to get all of them," Relena replied, as they trooped back to the sitting room, and wrapping themselves in blankets and towels to keep warm. Relena immediately began sorting through the assortment of scrolls, holding them up close to her face to read the faint, spindly writing.

"'Vampyres, the children of Darkness have existed since the beginning when the Angels turned from the light of Heaven and preyed upon Humanity, Damning themselves to an eternity of living with the sins they have committed. The Original vampyres were the most similar to mortals, night or day having no hold on them as they feasted on the blood and flesh of their victims…'" she grimaced, it made horrible reading but she continued, "'and did as they pleased. They were Angels with dark wings and they did not have a care that they were bound from a world in Heaven, wreaking havoc amongst the world. Those who were faithful prayed for long nights for the Lord to deliver them from Originals, from the Black Angels and responded, pressing upon them the symbol of their faith, the Cross, as the protection, the sanctuary from the vermin. The crosses used were to be blessed by the holy priest's hand, and to be believed wholly in. A cross, wielded by an Unfaithful, an atheist, would do nothing to protect than would a stick. The blessed water, Holy Water, was also used, and burned into the flesh of a vampyre, the same as a cross would. But this would not kill an Original, and the mortals knew this.'"

Relena wrinkled her nose as she read a rather disturbing fact. The others were watching her, listening as if she was a morbid vision of a storyteller spinning her tales for children. "It says here that they 'sent mortals to the palaces of the Originals armed with only a cross to test their faith. Those brave or foolish enough to dare sent back, with most of their limbs torn off, their eyes gouged out, and tortured in every way possible. The crosses they carried broken, hanging by threads against their hearts.'"

Adrian sighed, "And those were the ones that were sent back at all… not all of them were sent back."

Relena nodded continuing to read aloud, "'Those deemed worthy by the Originals were turned, made to be likenesses of the Originals. Of a weaker breed, their power came only with time, through hundreds, even thousands of years. The power of the Originals seemed unstoppable, their inability to be affected by hunger or thirst over a very long period of time, and their apparent immunity to any mortal weapon created. Their otherworldly beauty, it seemed, also served to temper every possible feature, so that, should they be pierced, they would remain unharmed, and certainly not dead.'" Relena put down the scroll with a sigh, "Gods, raise your hand if you think Rosalyn might be an Original."

Adrian frowned, "It can't be… as I recall, they were supposed to have been completely destroyed by the Queen."

"The Queen?" Midii looked interested, "The same Queen of the Damned?"

Adrian looked surprised at the blonde, "You know something about vampiric lore?"

Midii shrugged, "Only a little."

"'Little is known about that very same Queen of the Damned,'" Relena said preoccupied with scanning the next scroll, the first one finished with. "She died, didn't she?"

"She dies and is reborn in the body that she has chosen, she is eternal." This was from Heero, who had remained silent up until now. All eyes turned to the again silent Japanese, "You know something about this?"

"Some."

Duo groaned, "Man, you people have a weird enough hobby. I have enough trouble just hunting them up and killing 'em. I don't find a need to know where they came from." Dorothy narrowed her eyes, giving him a pointed look, "Unlike you, _Monsieur Maxwell_," she said with frigid sarcasm, "we have an interest in knowing how the hell a vampire can withstand a stake shoved through its chest, as well as several silver bullets shot through her." Duo retreated, holding up a pillow as if to fend off any harm that could be done by the blonde duchess.

Relena waved off the conversation, "It says that!" she said, after a few moments of reading silently to herself, "Right here: 'Eternally, She preys upon human flesh, living upon the luckless victims who fall under Her power, spread in a web of seduction. Each time She is killed, She returns anew, in a body she chooses as Her shell.'" _Capitalized 'her'… so whoever wrote this, was extremely respectful… or extremely scared._

She put down the scroll, there was nothing else to be said on it and held up a dusty manuscript to her eyes, blowing off the thick layer of dust that covered it. When that didn't work, she wiped it away with her hands to read the blurred titling.

__

To Restore the Queen's Glory

She blanched, removing the temporary bindings on the sheafs of papers that made up the manuscript, and turning to the next page. "'There have always been those, vampires and humans alike who have worshipped the Queen of the Damned as She truly is, a goddess, a bringer of death, a dark angel. More times than no, has the Queen chosen Her shell from these worshippers, feeding on their beliefs. However, sometimes, She will choose a shell that best befits Her purpose, whatever that may be. She is a Queen of the Damned, and She finds pleasure in taking those most pure, under Her black wing, and distorting their purity into nothing more than dark shadows of Her own self. They are called, the Children of Darkness, seekers of Eternity.'"

"Who would worship someone who likes to kill people?" Duo mused out loud, grimacing. He noticed people staring at him, and he elaborated, "I mean, I know there's the odd cult and all, but really, it's like worshipping the Devil, isn't it?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion that that is exactly what these 'Children of Darkness' thing are. A cult." Midii's voice was heard and Relena nodded, "I agree with you." She said softly, "This is exactly what it sounds like."

"Continue reading then, Miss Relena, and we might be able to find out more."

"'The way to become the most ultimate of sacrifices is not simple. No, those who believe themselves to be worthy of carrying their Mistress in their bodies, several rituals must be undergone. They free whatever is left of their souls utterly from their minds, often making them seem crazed, often insane. Many of them are. Their minds and bodies cannot handle the strain of separation, and are unfit to continue through the remaining rituals. This is the first ritual, the separation of mind, body and soul.

"'To do this, those that deem themselves worthy, the Hunt begins. The Hunt, to kill a thousand innocents before the night is done, wringing out every last drop of blood in their mangled bodies and bathing oneself in its pool. And to bathe in this pool, to be surrounded by it, but never, ever drink even a single drop, is torture. Thus, if they know how, they will break themselves, shatter themselves into the three parts…' Hey, the rest of the ritual is missing!" Relena had just turned the page, and could see only the torn remnants of parchment, where the pages had been torn out of the manuscript.

"Did _anyone_ else know about that library? Or was this book already like this when you got it?" she asked, looking up at Adrian. He shook his head, "I recall all the books I found were mostly intact. There are several missing scrolls, but the manuscripts should all be there. And no one but myself knew of that secret room."

"So… just a thought… but do you think they might've found out about these? That all they needed was the last part of the ritual? I mean, I think Roslyn's already insane enough for me to suspect she's finished the first part of the ritual."

"So all she needs is the next part…"

"I think so—" She was interrupted by a long wail of a scream. 

"Heavens above have mercy! Lady Dorothy!" an elderly woman came rushing into the room. "That woman, that girl that was brought in from Mister Townsend's house. She suddenly began bleeding… out of nowhere, her blouse was torn open and… come quickly, Lady Dorothy. Something terrible is happening to her!"

The stampede that followed was immediate, and they were soon clustered around the pale and shaking form of Emmy, who had been rescued from the vampiresses. As they watched, gruesomely, blood began seeping in lines, making out words as if some invisible hand was wielding a knife, cutting into her flesh. The words, shining and dripping, said '_The Queen will return to Her full Glory.'_

"Dear God…"

~*~*~*~

End of Chapter. Long, I know, I know. I wanted to stop after the stuff about after the little 'excursion', but well, I liked the name 'Ritual' and that didn't come in till the end. Sorry… review me anyway!


	6. Broken

Title: Vampiric Sacrifice

Author: stefani teee a.k.a. Koneko ^Å^

© Tales Spinners Inc.

Koneko-chan says!

****

Chapter Five: Broken

They stared, aghast, at the horrid sight in front of them. Relena looked shell-shocked as she stared down at the dripping corpse of one of her own friends. Even for her, screaming wouldn't have been enough. The others she hadn't been able to help, hadn't been able to do anything. This was the same, her logical brain told her, but Emmy had been right in front of her, dying in front of her and she couldn't stop it. She hadn't been able to.

"Whoever did this has a sick, sick mind…" This was from Duo, but there was no tone of hilarity in his voice. It was deadened, hard. Dorothy, still holding one of the sheets that had held some of the manuscripts slowly stepped forward, draping it over the still-bleeding corpse. She was too far gone to help now. The thin line of blood that appeared at her throat told that story all on its own.

Relena turned away from the sight, turned her back to one of her friends, and walked away. It had happened before… when they'd stared at that horrid gravestone that held no body of Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft having never even caught sight of any remnants left of her body other than blood, and when she'd seen the secret files dictating the horrid deaths of the Peacecraft monarchy. She'd seen the images, stored away in databases that were never supposed to reach the public eyes or ears, much less to her own. 

The matter was a tricky one to get out of, and it was soon pronounced by the police that the same psycho who'd been responsible for the corpses floating in the bathtub, filled with a mixture of water and blood, was responsible for the death of Emmy Winters as well.

It was a solemn-faced girl who returned to Peacecraft Manor the next morning, and found her older brother sitting in a chair, sound asleep. He'd obviously woken up early that morning, waiting for her to come back. Biting her lip, she went quickly for a blanket, draping it over him before silently going past him and up the stairs to her room. There she found Gabriel curled up in a ball on her bed, whimpering softly as he wriggled, lost in some dream. Smiling softly, she stroked the side of his face, brushing away several strands of hair from his eyes and turned away, heading towards the closet. She had to change, then get to Preventers quick smart. Knowing Une, she'd be in her office, trying to explain her theories about the vampiresses. What had seemed so concrete and final last night seemed so blurry and abstract today, with no balance of truth or fiction. She shook her head, sighing. She had to think up a very good way to put her thoughts or she had about less than a snowball's chance in Hell of explaining anything. Sometimes, it was a good thing to be one of the best politicians in After Colony history.

~*~*~*~

__

"NO! Watch out!" Her shrieks were echoed by answering screams, panicked and terrified. "Oh god no, not Gabe! Get away from him! NO!"

He ran towards her, his hair and clothes matted with the blood of both him as well as the vampires that had already fed and which he had uniformly decapitated as he strove to reach his wife. Her dark hair stuck to her sweaty forehead, face streaked with blood, both hers and the vampire she was fighting off, keeping him away from her son who was cowering to one side in a corner, clothes torn, with several deep scratches, and clutching a cross. He'd managed to shove it directly into the face of the vampire bent on killing him, gaining him enough time for his mother to step in, taking up his part in the fight.

"Be careful! I'm coming!" he bellowed back, trying to reach her, wading through the seemingly endless hoards of demons flooding into the mansion. Once again, he cursed the stupidity of his staff at having invited the vermin in. Shoving aside one vampire, bleeding from a nasty looking chest wound, and then impaling it when it attacked him, he made his way towards his wife and child.

Finally, he reached them, killing off the vampire she had been fighting and gathering up his child in his arms. He whirled to grab his wife's hand, knowing it was a losing battle, and they had their child to think of. What he saw horrified him. There were more, this time led by a woman. "Oh shit, Noin just come on!' he was yelling at her. But she seemed spellbound, unable to hear him as she just stood there in seeming shock, wide eyed as another woman approached from the side. Her dark eyes were enchanting, and when he stared wildly at her, wondering what she was doing, he found himself sinking into that state of mindlessness that his wife seemed to be in. Only Gabe's sudden yank on his arm brought him back to his senses as he ran for her, grabbing her, shaking her, attempting to keep an eye on the vampires and the vampiresses while not looking the dark-eyed female in the eye. It was quite a feat, but he had managed it. She blinked, and she turned towards him.

"Daddy watch out!"

Above him, the ceiling exploded downwards as several more of the vermin leaped into the room, screeching in high, keening yells, like banshees as they dove for the threesome. "Come on…"

She tried… she honestly did. But at that moment, the vampiress leapt, literally tackling her to the ground. In his horror, he watched as the vampires went for his wife, like bees drawn to honey.

"Noin…"

"MOMMY!" Gabe was screaming now, his eyes wide and frightened, his entire body trembling. He was crying now, as Milliardo mechanically took up his child and ran, away from the sight of the ghastly sight. He would have stayed, tried to kill as many as he could, but there was no chance of survival and he knew it. He had his son to think of, even though she… she was gone.

"We're not done with you yet, Princeling…" A clawed hand grasped his shoulder, digging deep into the flesh, tearing through flesh and muscle, making him grunt and wince, but not dropping his son. But the hand yanked him backwards, pulling him towards him and Gabe was wrenched from him as he saw another vampire's face grinning over him, eyes hungry, fangs already dripping with both saliva and old blood.

He struggled, and it only caused him to be to even more torn up, the vampires evidently not caring for him to be alive. He could hear his son's screams though, and he continued to fight with all his might and main against the horrid blackness clawing at his eyesight. Just before he blacked out… a huge lumbering figure passed across his vision, ripping the vermin around him limb from limb. Who was it? What _was it?_

His eyes sprang open, just as his body reacted, leaping off the chair to his feet in a quick fluid gesture that had been well perfected during the course of his life. He came face-to-face with a rather surprised younger sister as she walked past him after descending the staircase. "Brother?" she queried, cocking her head quizzically, wondering what was wrong.

He shook his head, holding a hand gingerly to his forehead, rubbing his temples wearily. "Nothing, nothing… did something happen last night?" he gestured to the bandage on her leg, making her look down at it. "This? Oh… well… uh, Adrian Townsend's house was attacked and since Dorothy's is right next to it…"

"You went to check it out." He finished for her, his sudden feeling of fear coursing through him again. He did not approve of what she was doing, of her wanting to exact revenge upon those who had deprived them of a life with their own family. He didn't want what had happened to Noin happen to her too.

"Yes…" she began gathering up stray sheets of paper that she'd dropped in her surprise, piling them neatly on top of her three-ring binder. "Are you all right now?"

"I'm fine… and I also have a meeting with Lady Une over at Preventers HQ in order. Basically tell her what happened, then I'm off to work."

"You've got a lot on your shoulders for a 21-year old."

Relena laughed, "And _you_ are saying this to _me_?" she asked him, with a falsely incredulous look. Milliardo smiled, drawn into the familiar banter, "It was a different time, sister dear, the situation was much different."

"Ah, forgive me, O Knowledgeable One, in your old age your wisdom spans millennia upon millennia!" Milliardo looked properly horrified. No matter what he'd faced in his past, it was quite another thing for his own sister to accuse him of becoming senile. "Why you…"

She dodged away from his grasp quite nimbly, mocking him, even in her light rose political suit, "Getting slow in your old age, brother-o'-mine?"

He sighed, shaking his head, a small smile on his face, "Oh, get going to your meeting… Gabe and I will be just fine." Relena smiled, "Then I'm off… be careful, don't let anyone suspicious in, even in the daytime."

Milliardo's face grew grim and he nodded, "I know… I'm just glad you weren't there that night…"

Relena shook her head vehemently, "I wish I _was_ there, Brother! I might've helped… I might've kept Marie from letting in those vermin…" she shook her head, "But we can't dwell too long in the past, can we, Brother?"

The sudden image of Noin's bloodstained, beautiful face appeared in his mind and he nodded slowly, "No, we can't…" but it was too hard to forget the one person who'd always stood by him, no matter what crazy ideas he got into that head of his. It suddenly made him think… he'd been so worried over his sister the other night. It had slipped his mind to ask about where… where Noin had been buried.

"Relena?"

In the process of putting on her shoes, she looked up. "Where is… where is Noin?" Relena looked sadly, almost nervously at him. "Her body was never found… the police… they think she was too…" Milliardo understood. They had torn her to shreds.

Milliardo nodded, his voice sounding choked, even to him, "No matter then… you go now."

Relena nodded once, biting her lip, and was out the door. Sprinting towards her car, she got in, and put the pedal to the metal, veering out of the way of an oncoming grandmother and her shopping cart, scaring the poor woman half to death as she yelled back an apology and continued going. The old woman, after overcoming her shock and fear, simply muttered, "Kids these days…"

Relena pulled into a screeching stop at the front of the building, and leaving the parking to the valet, snatched up her slightly crumpled stack of papers. Then, with a calm expression, exited the car, passed through the customary swarm of cameras and cameramen alike, ascended the stairs and entered the glass doors of the building quietly and serenely… Before continuing her headlong dash towards the conference room, joined by several other, equally late and equally dignified personas.

"The conference room A?" gasped out one middle-aged politician, a binder with several sheets of paper flying out of it as he ran. Relena pointed, "Third door to the left!" she replied before racing on down the hallway until she reached the door labeled 'Conference Room B'. She stopped short then, casting a smile at the guard posted just outside, composed herself, then opened the door, walking calmly inside.

"Forgive me for being late…" she trailed off as soon as she caught sight of a familiar figure sitting at the head of the conference table. She had to work hard at keeping her mouth quite closed. There he was… Adrian Townsend himself, sitting there placidly, without a trace of any more recognition than any other fellow politician was. 

Quickly regaining her composure, she sat down with that faint smile that was always present on her face when she went to meetings like this. She'd planned on seeing Une before coming here… but since she'd been caught late both at home and in traffic… Her eyes strayed to the windows, which were all securely curtained, the room lit only by the many electrical lamps hanging from the ceiling.

The meeting commenced and finished rather quickly, despite her earlier misgivings, and she replaced all the papers in her briefcase quickly, with a half-hearted goodbye to Adrian Townsend as she sprinted out the door. If she didn't get the Preventers HQ to give her report, she'd be done for. No one, not even the politicians themselves could handle Une's wrath and not quail before her.

She never noticed his slight attempt to talk to her before she was out the door. He had a serious look on his face, and as she left, he shrugged silently, saying softly to himself. "She'll have her own suspicions to worry about soon enough." He left quietly, trying not to make a scene as he made his way carefully to the car, covered at all times from the Sun's deadly rays to the car waiting for him where the windows were graciously tinted dark enough that no sunlight entered.

Midii sat there beside him, watching him. "Were you able to talk to her, Mr. Townsend?"

"No. But there is no worry… she will learn what I have to say soon enough."

She had a strange, beguiling smile on her own face. "And what would that be, Mr. Townsend?"

He returned the smile distantly, slightly furtive, "I believe if she doesn't yet know, she will soon… and you too will know my suspicions."

She grimaced, and withdrew, looking out the window in silence, feigning ignorance. But she knew well enough what he knew. And she would do well to keep it to herself until the proper time came. He smiled grimly, she may be Mystery herself, but he was still a vampire. A strong one.

~*~*~*~

Relena was having her own problems. First off, it was because Lady Une was in a very, _very_ bad mood, enough of a bad mood to snap at even the ex-Vice Foreign Minister. Politician she may be, but no longer was she beholden to the responsibilities of her late adopted father, or her biological father. "What do you _mean_, the vermin attacked Adrian Townsend's mansion? You looked into this matter personally? I thought you were brought in on the critical list not to long ago… what the _hell_ made you go over there and check things out yourself?"

Relena's face was sweet, but serious. "Lady, you know very well that Adrian Townsend is a good friend of mine. He is one of the most distinguished people I have ever met, vampire or not, and to stand by and watch his house be burned down would have been something beyond my ability to take. The vermin had their own magick, and someone, or something, managed to kill Emmy right in front of me and there was nothing I could do, no one I could stop from hurting her."

Lady Une softened, just a touch. "Emmy? One of Townsend's servants?"

Relena nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Despite all her brave words in front of her friends, she was not the type of person to go around killing things in cold blood. She honestly did feel pity, and a strange feeling of guilt mixed into her pride whenever she had dealt with one of the vermin. Not all had started out like this… they might have retained some part of their old lives even, like Adrian. But she would kill whoever got in her way, in her friends' way. She was softhearted, but she was not a bleeding heart. She was strong. She could deal with whatever life threw at her, even if it broke her.

She would not cry. Emmy was gone; there was nothing else to be said about that.

But that had never been the issue with Relena Peacecraft Dorlian. It had been her nature, not her feelings.

Some said that Relena was suicidal.

Others insisted she was merely too trusting.

But she thought herself none of these things. Suicidal meant that she would willingly jump off the roof of a building, and she would not do that. She would _face_ death, of course, she understood that she could die at any moment of time, and sometimes she chose _not_ to struggle, but she was no fool. There was much to live for, and she'd be damned before she'd kill herself. Because if someone else offered to kill her, they were in their turn putting the guilt on their own shoulders, doing the job on their own. She knew her life was important, but she was not egotistical to believe that it was only her alone, that wealth and power alone could make her life important. If she had to, and in several times over the course of her life, she had thought it less than worthy than someone else's, she had offered it away. But that was not suicidal. Suicide is something that you can't turn back from once you've done it. Giving yourself to someone else left them with a choice. A choice was not suicide.

And trusting? No, she was not too trusting, she had been through too much to trust easily. It was true, she had believed once in her youth, believed in the sheltered life she'd left of frivolity and of people who'd adored her. She had not openly acknowledged it, but in her deepest heart of hearts, she had registered her own importance in the St. Gabriel's popularity scale. But after Heero Yuy had come into her life, there was no true trust anymore. Or at least, the trust that had been close to instantaneous when in her sheltered life. It was most likely because the things told to her hadn't mattered, _really_ mattered to her. But everything that came later had. There was no more trust, but there was belief. She certainly had believed in Heero, in Duo… in all of them. But she hadn't trusted the fact that they would know exactly what to do. She believed in their own nature, little that she knew of them at the time, but she had not trusted them, no, not even Heero.

She considered herself fatalistic. She was ready to die, death held no fear over her, but she would not willingly take her life meaninglessly. There had to be a reason something was done, and to be able to go to that extreme, she had to have a reason. Because she was tired of life was not an acceptable one. For the most extreme of extremes, the greatest of reasons had to be given. She had none.

She wanted her life, the bad along with the good. She didn't give a shit about silver lining, if something was bad, it was considered bad, no small good from it could really be considered good if everything was bad to begin with. But there would always be good after the bad had happened. And she had learned throughout her life to accept all that had happened, and then afterward, leave it behind her forever. The past was something she did not want to relive, any of the good along with the bad. She would not be left a broken woman left with only the delusions of her past.

That had been the thing that had made her strong. Heero Yuy, for a while had been her rock, and she had relied on him to be strong, but she had found out that he was not perfect, he could not always be the strong one. And in some things, he had relied on her, believed in _her_ at the times when she most doubted herself. That belief had helped her grow stronger, surer of herself. But it was the final belief in herself which made everything function around her again.

But she was human. And she kept her friends the highest priority, above her, and if anything should happen to them… well, she would make Hell seem the perfect vacation spot. Whoever had been responsible for Emmy's death was going to pay. She believed in peace, but if she couldn't have things go right if she came from the pacifist viewpoint, then she would wage war. She had Preventers backing her up. She could lead an all-out war against the new-raised Queen of Darkness. She was a pacifist, always had been, but there was not enough idealism in her, to stick to it. Theoretically, everything would be put to right if everything had gone the way it was supposed to. But she had human nature to contend with. And where there were men, and power, and need for survival, there would always be battle. She had accepted that, thrown her ideals to the winds, cast them out, and lived her life the way she wanted it. She found herself not to want to carry on either father's work, to promote peace, to follow in their idealism. She had to find something of her own to believe in. And she chose to believe in herself.

Considering she was still alive, she must have done something right.

~*~*~*~

For the first time in a long time, Heero Yuy had found himself helpless. He and the rest of the boys, had stayed with Dorothy in her mansion, and had been looking through the rest of Townsend's books and scrolls for more than half a day. He had been awake when Relena had quietly whispered to Dorothy that she had to go, still ashen-faced and walking out into the rain, not caring to bring an umbrella. Townsend had left a little while before, and they had all assumed it was to go back to his house before the sun went up. Dawn was already close to breaking, and Midii Une had left with him. Dorothy herself was not in the best of shape, but Adrian had been kind enough to help heal most of the more important injuries. Her arms, side, and half her face was covered in bruises, but she continued doggedly to sift through the huge volumes of information on some clue as to destroy an Ultimate vampire. There had to be a way… the world was not overrun with them now, so _something_ had happened, been able to kill them, or trap them, or destroy them.

The thing was, that he had watched that stately blonde leave the house, her eyes red with tiredness, and that old protectiveness that he had thought he'd grown out of, stirred inside him. And he wanted to shield her from the world again, wanted to erase that awful closed expression on her face. She had watched one of her friends die right before her eyes, when she had been saved from a death by torture from the vampiresses… and she had bled to death in what they had thought to be the safety of Dorothy's house. And after the initial shock, Relena had closed down completely, as if some icy curtain had dropped down in front of her eyes, and she remained solemn and quiet throughout the entire night they were there. Of course that hadn't stopped her from being the kind, sweet person she'd always been. There was just something missing in the sweet smile of hers. Perfectly understandable. But it was not _right_. And he hated the fact that he couldn't do anything to keep that stony expression off her face. He had been down that road before… and it had led him to the brink of insanity. He did not want that for her. Never would he want that for her.

He got up, and, ignoring the questioning faces on everyone else's faces, he grabbed his jacket, stopping only at Dorothy's door, "I'm going to get Relena… knowing her, she'll probably still be hiding everything underneath a smiling face." He disappeared out the door, they could vaguely hear the purring of the engine as he reversed the car and disappeared out of Dorothy's long driveway.

As soon as he was far enough, Duo, and Dorothy as it was, shared a private smirk, "And he _says_ he's not dead gone on her…"

Then they went back to the serious work, leaving the rest of the boys out of the loop. But they were smart. They caught on in their own time.

~*~*~*~

Relena had finally gotten through her meeting with Lady Une and was stumbling blindly out of the Preventers when someone caught her by the shoulder. Not being in complete control of her senses, she was startled, instinctively grabbing the hand and jerking the person forward off-balance. Side-stepping them, she turned to face…

(Well, who else could it be?)

Cathrine blinked several times consecutively, before her confused expression melted into a smile. "You've gotten those reflexes down pat, haven't you?" she asked, as Relena apologized, and helped her to her feet. 

(Then again…)

She nodded, forcing a smile on her face. "Sorry about that," she apologized again. "You startled me."

Cathrine waved it off, "Of course, of course… it's my fault really, I should've known not to come up behind a vampire hunter. But I thought you would've noticed me… I was calling your name from down the hall."

Relena frowned, having not heard a word but the scattered thoughts in her own head. "I'm sorry… I was… preoccupied."

"You very much looked like it," Cathrine commented matter-of-factly, "In fact, you were so out of it that you didn't even notice your lover boy standing there in the corner." Relena blinked, once, twice, and then again for good measure.

Turning slowly, she noticed the shadowy figure leaning against one of the walls that she knew so well, for the first. "Heero?"

The other woman grinned, waved and walked away, completely at home in her Preventers uniform. Relena could be so lucky. She slowly made her way towards the man who'd been in and out of her life for so long, and stopped just in front of him. "Are you waiting for someone?" she asked softly, not half-believing that he might be waiting for her.

He shrugged, "I was worried about you," he told her simply.

"You actually deem me worthy to be worried about?" she asked, wryly.

"You always have been." From first impression, you would never from the way he looked and the way he talked, just how much a complex person he was. Everything about him seemed so simple, as if he could pass through life without much effort. He was the opposite of, having to work harder than anyone else to achieve what amounted to normalcy with everyone else around him.

That made her smile, just the slightest bit, and nodded, "Thanks."

He stood up solidly on his own two feet then, and walked beside her as they made their way out of Preventers, passing through the gates, and towards their cars. She found, to her amusement, that he had found a way to have his car parked right next to hers where Senator Kelly's personal car was supposed to be. She had always found it a waste of space, as he hardly ever drove it anyone, much preferring his flashy limo. The car had been very neatly moved into the center of the lane a few spaces ahead, just enough space for both Heero's car, and Relena's car to be able to get out perfectly fine.

"What did you—_how_ did you…" she trailed off, "Do I even want to know?"

Heero blinked at her owlishly, and had he been Duo, she'd accused him of his tendencies towards the illegal side of the line. Of course, this was not Duo. But she still very much preferred _this_ version of tall, dark and handsome.

Wait, did he fall under the label of tall, dark and handsome?

She frowned, puzzling over this new tidbit of thought, looking him over from the corner of her eye as she unlocked her car. Tall, yes. Dark? Well, his hair wasn't _dark_ per se, but it certainly wasn't as light as her hair… Handsome? Her cheeks flushed, did one even have to ask? The man was the perfect definition of gorgeous.

Shaking her head, allowing her hair to fly in front of her face like a cloud, she looked up at him, "Meet you there?" she asked him.

He shrugged, "If you want, I could go with you."

She felt her eyebrows raising before she could stop it, and asked, "You want to?"

"I wouldn't mind."

Smiling, she gestured, "Do you want to drive then?"

He paused for a moment. Then… "Yes."

"Be my guest." She grinned, "I knew your male testosterone urges couldn't hold out for long."

That brought out a small smile on his face, "I prefer to live long enough not to _ever_ have you drive me anywhere again."

She let out a sound that very much resembled an indignant squeak. "I stay below the speed limit!"

He raised a sardonic eyebrow, "Could have fooled me."

She tapped him firmly on the shoulder, "Just drive."

Now, this was a very difficult feat to accomplish dramatically because of the fact that she had to reach up to tap his shoulder, his being taller than her, but she managed to pull it off quite well as a matter of fact.

He mimed tipping an imaginary hat at her, "Ma'am."

They got in the car.

~*~*~*~

Milliardo Peacecraft stood there, clothed in his long gray duster that he had always been so fond of wearing, belted close as the wind blew the dried leaves in large whorls and swirls around him. He was staring at the gravestone, alone beside a single lone tree, and quite far away from the rest of the graves in that particular graveyard. And there was no body beneath that ground where the grass had grown over while he'd been comatose. The flowers he held in his arms he lay tenderly down on the grass in front of the stone. "Noin…" he said softly, the words losing their volume in the wind. It was late that evening already, but the sun was still shining bright enough for him to be safe from the night-walking vermin.

He placed his hand tenderly on the granite stone, and even through his gloves he felt the coldness. He had been the witness, and the cause of too many deaths to count… his hands were stained with the blood of both old foes and old allies, and he wished above all else he could have helped her, that she could have survived the vampires' attack.

Relena had made them pay dearly for it, he knew, but in his eyes, she was still a child, and staining her soul with the knowledge of how to kill, even to those heartless vermin, it was something he wanted to protect her from. But too many things had happened since he'd been wandering the insides of his own mind, and she'd reached adulthood without him. She always had, it must be said, even in her younger years she had always watched everything with a detached, empty look, and he'd watched her secretly sometimes, and seen this. It was hard to imagine the wonderful little sister that he still remembered playing with in the old castle becoming that strange distant figure. And now, she was a killer, a vampire hunter.

He wanted his own revenge. He knew just as well as Relena did that the attack on the castle had been by the vermin. Sadly, the Peacecraft family had had absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of vampires at that time, and only after much searching of the ruins had the truth been revealed. For some reason they still had yet to learn, the majority of the vampires, headed by this 'Queen' had pitted themselves, and all their inhuman power against the Peacecraft family. And he had to learn why, very, very soon. Because at the rate things were going, (having checked up with Lady Une on the current things that they had learned while he had been comatose), they might soon pass from being 'extremely hard to kill' to 'completely immortal'. Which would be a very bad thing indeed.

It was only now, when she was gone that he could think of all the things to say to her. He'd always run away, disappeared, whether it be off to fulfill his ambition of fighting a worthy opponent or simply to wage war on whoever came up against his own ideals. He had never been one to indulge in his own personal angst, or in his "if only I had" 's, but there was nothing he wished for more, than to have her back, just so he could tell her all those things… he wanted a chance to be able to. To have everything pitted against him with none of her strength and her belief in him, it was hard to continue on. Being alone was something he'd gotten used to… but that did not mean he had enjoyed it any more than before.

__

Why? He wondered, _Why did it have to be _her_? She wasn't born into the Peacecraft name… if anything, it would have been Gabe they were after, though I shudder to think of that… or me. Why couldn't it have been me? She didn't deserve this… she worshipped life on the battlefield, and I believed in the bringing of death in a war. When did I learn to care so much? It mightn't have hurt as much if I hadn't remembered it all… but it would still be filled with that empty feeling, cold, detached and clinical. _

He sighed, rereading the inscription over again, _Before all this, when I was young and confused about all this… who was it that was my strength, before Noin became the better part of me? Trieze… it was Trieze. I worshipped him, with all his charm and charisma… and yet he was a soldier, best I'd ever met… and I wanted to be like him. To be strong, to have the honor of fighting a brilliant battle. But in the end I lacked the honor that Trieze had… he was my friend to the last, but I did my best to reject that friendship… but he knew what I wanted throughout the entirety of our battle. He did his best to help me, while still clinging to his own ideals. Was this what Noin wanted? She believed I was in the wrong, all those years ago… she believed that the Gundams were in the right, that they needed to protect the Earth Sphere, and the Colonies along with it… but she still stood with me. She betrayed her own ideals for _me_… was I worth all that? Not to myself… but I never knew if I was for her. She was worth the world to me… she and Relena both… they were the only two things that mattered to me. I lose my wife to the vampires, and I lose my baby sister for… the woman who is perfectly capable without my help… _

He shook his head clear of the thoughts. His mind was wandering… the sun was creeping away down the sky to her bed beneath the hills, and now was the time to start being extra careful, to be very aware of everything. He could not afford to let his mind wander, especially in vermin-infested places like this. Milliardo was a soldier to the very core of his being, and he wore a sword, sheathed and belted to his back in a spine sheath, which lay vertically on his spine. The trick to it was to get it out quickly without slicing off a lock of his long hair. He'd mastered it a long time ago thankfully, and it lay there hidden beneath the coat at all times. One did not serve in the army with Trieze as your commanding leader without picking up some of his old-fashioned tastes and abilities with weapons. And he had always been good at fencing… which had sped up his education with the sword master with incredible speed, and ease. 

So it was only natural that he'd rather take the sword than the stake… especially when it came to learning something new. And stabbing people (relatively speaking of course) with wooden spikes he only associated with outdoor décor, where they made a tiny fence around the peony bush, was something totally foreign to him. He touched the smooth stone with his fingers one last time, before turning round and beginning the long walk back to the graveyard gates. It was a large graveyard… it would take some walking. He could have taken the car round the twisting gravel path… but he had decided against it.

He realized he was not alone when a cold shiver ran up along his spine, and he tensed, listening, his eyes flickering all around him. The soft rustlings of grass underfoot made him turn, and behind him, there stood three of the vermin, two of them slinking as far away from him as possible as if afraid to stay, but too afraid of the consequences to move away. 

He barely took notice of them… his eyes were literally unable to look away from the face of the apparent leader. "Noin?" he croaked, his voice hoarse. "Noin, is that you?"

The large dark eyes of his one beloved was watching his every moment, her skin, naturally pale, was now bleached of color, the long white billowy dress she wore accented this, and she was beautiful. She had always been beautiful, but now she seemed to have a _glow_ around her, something ethereal, something entirely not human.

"Zechs…" her voice was nothing more than a whisper on the wind, but he caught it.

"They got you." He said dully, "You're one of… one of _them_."

The two vampires behind Noin bared their teeth and hissed at him, the male wrapping an arm possessively around Noin's slim waist. Zechs wanted to tear off the vile limb as she cringed away from him, looking up at Zechs as if in silent pleading.

"They won't let me go," she whispered, and he had to half-read her lips. "They wouldn't let me come back to you… and then they killed me."

"And we turned her," hissed the female one, smiling a horrid smile at him, her face horribly disfigured, as if half-melted. He gave an educated guess that it was with holy water, which seared through a vampire's flesh like acid. "We turned her, and she screamed at us, fought us, screaming your name, screaming your son's names…"

Noin looked away, eyes hollow, pulling in vain at the arm firmly snaked around her middle. "Then they killed me, and changed me, and they wouldn't let me see you or Gabe, even a glimpse, until now."

"Why?" It was a demand, not a question.

The male vampire spoke, "She would have torn you apart, she could not control it. We know more than to let the fledglings slaughter our… food, so quickly."

"Food." It was not a question.

"That is what you are, mortal." It hissed at him, mocking him, "And you will never be more than food. The Queen wants you dead, and your still-beating heart presented to her on a plate."

"Shame she doesn't go for originality." Noin muttered under her breath. Three things happened at the exact same time. The first was the female vampire attacking Noin with a rake of her talons. The second was the male vampire pulling away from harm before the blow could connect. And the third was that Zechs' sword had appeared with a sharp "shhhing" sound, and had charged the vampiress, plunging the blade into her chest. It would not kill her, his blade was not silver, nor wood, and he had not even aimed for her heart… but it would certainly hurt like hell.

He wrenched the blade out of her, and it came out with a horrible sucking sound as blood began to flow in rivulets down her stomach, blood seeping into the thin white shift, dying it a brilliant crimson. She grasped a protective hand over it, staggered back, hissing profanities at him, but otherwise stayed on her feet. "You'll pay for that…" she hissed at him.

"And you're going to pay for trying to hurt her." the male vampire returned, glaring at her. "You know the Queen's orders."

"She insulted Her Majesty. She needs to be punished."

"And you have the power to bring about her punishment? O great worker of Justice! O Cleanser of All that are Foul!" mocked the male vampire, who was more intelligent than first he appeared to be. "You have not the power, and the fact that this mortal has caught you unawares is proof of your weakness."

He turned back to Zechs, an expression of something like respect in his silvered eyes. "You are brave, mortal," he said, much of the snarl gone from his voice, and it even sounded human, "I can see why the Queen would almost appear to fear you and your family."

Noin looked away, "I'm sorry Zechs. I wanted to be there for you. And I can't. I can't!" She turned and ran, and the two vampires let her, turning to follow her, though they looked back once to see if he would follow. He did not. He didn't want to see them, see the pain that had been so very visible in her face.

Mentally, he reviewed the facts, a natural habit that he'd developed in the previous wars, and he didn't like at all what he came up with. She was a vampire. She had to die.

Didn't she?

~*~*~*~ 

End of Chapter.

Whew! Sorry it took so long, I have almost completely lost track of my plot, and that compounded with a severe case of Writer's Block is the reason this chapter is so late in the coming. I promise to update as soon as possible. Thanks for reading, beloved ones who have stayed with me this long. Don't forget the reviews!


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